


The Red Haired Woman

by CavalierQueen



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, NCIS fandom nominations two years in a row
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-05
Updated: 2010-09-05
Packaged: 2017-10-11 12:15:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 27,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/112300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CavalierQueen/pseuds/CavalierQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An experiment in old characters, new characters, timeline shifts, changes to show plot lines. A big writing experiment with Gibbs as love interest. Shorter than my usual. Story is COMPLETE<br/>NCIS - Rated: T - English - Romance/Drama - Chapters: 15 - Words: 28,535 - Reviews: 6 - Published: 11-28-08 - Leroy Jethro Gibbs - Complete</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Red Haired Woman

Title: **The Red Haired Woman**  
Category: TV Shows » NCIS  
Author: CavalierQueen  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T  
Genre: Romance/Drama  
Published: 11-28-08, Updated: 11-28-08  
Chapters: 15, Words: 28,535

  


* * *

**Chapter 1: Chapter 1**

* * *

A/N: This story is an experiment for me as a writer. It is very different from my other stories in that I maintain something less than a T rating throughout (as opposed to my usual M plus), and adult language or situations are almost nonexistent throughout. I also experimented with encasing my character driven plot with the stories from the TV show. Some characters never existed, the time line is played with, and the end results are not always what happened in the show. Mostly, I really was experimenting and enjoyed it. Will be interesting to see what readers have to say. What you don't recognize is mine, everything else belongs to Belasarius and CBS.

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 1

The woman stood in front of his desk waiting for some form of acknowledgement. She knew he was known for being tough, a 'bastard' even, but she had chosen this assignment. Even with her back turned she knew everyone else had noticed her. They were staring at her, and not even disguising their curiosity or lust. She could feel it pouring off of them. Apparently Gibbs was immune. She had announced herself once and after that she would stand still until he acknowledged her.

Finally the silver haired handsome man raised his head, meeting his aqua colored eyes with her deep emerald green ones. She felt an electric shock race through her body, but she never even twitched in recognition. She had been trained by the absolute best of the best. She was so good at hiding her feelings she could fool the best polygraph test around, and endure the worst of torture without giving anything away.

"Is there something I can do for you?" he asked with irritation as he took a sip of his coffee. She could already tell he drank coffee most of the day given the number of coffee cups in his trash already. He had no personal items around his desk and wore no ring. She knew from his dossier he had been married 4 times already. His first wife and only child were killed. He had been married and divorced after that 3 other times. He was a workaholic and extremely well respected.

"I am Chanel Atherton, reporting for duty sir. Here are my orders." Her voice was deep and sultry and she never even tried to make it that way. She handed him her file.

He took the file from her never breaking the eye contact. "Your orders? I wasn't aware I had requested anything or anyone." He finally broke eye contact and looked up to the balcony seeing the Director of NCIS Michael Ackerman watching the scene below him with a slight smile on his face. Gibbs stood up and walked past Chanel, stopped and turned around to her. "Sit" and motioned her to the empty desk next to his. "Don't touch anything, and don't get comfortable. Tony, stay away from her. I'll be back soon."

Chanel was not used to being ordered like a dog, but she sat in the chair and casually observed the two men who would also be part of her team. She obviously recognized Tony D'Nozzo immediately. Good looking, womanizing, degreed in Phys Ed of all things, but his street smarts and bravery were undeniable. The other man had to be Timothy McGee, MIT computer geek and published writer. His first novel had actually been quite good. She found it amusing that he barely changed the names of his characters from the people who he worked with. Things were a little awkward, ok a lot awkward, since no one was talking, everyone was looking at her, and the level of curiosity was very high.

Sometime later, Gibbs returned to his desk, pointed to Chanel. "You, with me, now." She quietly followed him into the elevator, where he promptly hit the emergency switch stopping the elevator and leaving it in near darkness.

They stood watching each other, him trying to size her up, if she could possibly be as good as her file said. She was trying to figure out if he was as tough as he seemed. None of her usual methods were going to soften him up.

She finally spoke up, figuring he would appreciate the more assertive approach from her. "Can I answer your questions, sir?"

"Don't call me sir. We are not in the military and I am not an officer."

Ok, this was going well. "Can I answer your questions, Special Agent Gibbs?"

He stared at her, and finally answered her, "Where to begin?"

"Well, Agent Gibbs, if we don't start wrapping up our conversation, everyone in the building is going to have to take the stairs, and some might even start to gossip. So maybe a coffee and a walk in the park as a conference room as opposed to an almost dark elevator?"

He continued his gaze at her, smiled slightly, and hit the elevator switch, leading them out of the building, to her pleasant surprise even opening the doors as they passed through. They both got their coffee paying attention to how the other took it. They started walking in the park, both watching their surroundings closely. He started to ask the thousands of questions he had for Chanel.

"You chose this assignment? You could have gone anywhere, but you chose NCIS?"

"Not just NCIS, but I asked to work with you and your team. All the research I did led me to want to work with you. I was offered positions at the CIA, FBI, State, Secret Service, and several black ops organizations I can't discuss. You are the best at what you do. So am I. Our skills complement each other."

"You are being awarded the Medal of Honor, in secret, of course, given the circumstances."

"Yeah, whoo, hoo. A big deal medal no one can know anything about. What else do you want to know about Agent Gibbs?

"Call me Gibbs. I need investigators. My last agent was killed by a terrorist. You obviously have terrific weapon skills, forensics, tracking skills, computer skills, and you speak more languages than anyone in the whole building. But can you investigate crimes?"

"What do you need to see that proves that I can do this? I am not some probie you have to train. I might need a little help with the details. You know, just tell me what to do, and I can do it. Track money, id fingerprints, find bad guys—I guess I found a lot of the baddest guys, I think I can handle whatever might get thrown my way here on US soil."

He laughed at that, "Yeah, I guess you have found the baddest of the bad guys. That must have been a hell of a shot. And they let a woman out there with Special Forces in Afghanistan?"

"The Special Forces were my body guards and they deserve every accommodation coming their way. You know my father is General Atherton, head of the Joint Chiefs. To say that those guys who were out there with me were extremely diligent is an understatement. My identity and what I have done is beyond Top Secret. I was told you would be told, but no one else must ever know. If people will think I got my job because of my dad, or, "she said with a laughing smirk, "because I blew you in the elevator, it doesn't matter because they must never know anything about me being in Afghanistan. I know Arabic and Hebrew for reasons that are a bonus to the job, but not necessary to explain."

When she had said 'I blew you in the elevator' he stopped walking and just stared at her. "What Gibbs?"

"I agree with everything you have said, and you are definitely not a probie. But just for the record, I would NEVER expect you to blow me anywhere. You are beautiful, and perhaps many men might think of you that way. Tony surely will. But I will never disrespect you like that."

"That might be one of the nicest things anyone has said to me in a long time. Trust me, Gibbs. I never trade sex for anything, ever. Never on any op I have ever been on. I might trade the illusion of sex, but no one ever touches me against my will. There are bodies scattered across various continents to prove it. Tony should be careful. Flirtation is fun, and I am certainly provocative, but he will get hurt if he thinks it is something it isn't."

They approached the NCIS building. "I look forward to you joining my team. I suggest you wear pants or jeans and less Prada so you don't mess up your clothes in crime scenes. Let's get your badge and stuff taken care of. I'm sure you are packing your own gun and equipment, but we will issue you your own NCIS gun as well. Just out of curiosity, what are you carrying now?"

"Two guns, five knives, and a tazer."

Gibbs visibly looked over the sheath dress she had on obviously curious as to where all the weapons were.

She obliged his unasked question. "One gun and a tazer in my purse, one strapped to my inner thigh, one knife strapped behind my neck and down my back, two more in my hair clasp, and one strapped to each arm. Arming will be much easier wearing jeans and slacks. Any other questions before we go inside?"

"This might be the most fun I've had in a while. Shall we?"

* * *

**Chapter 2: Chapter 2**

* * *

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 2

A month into her new assignment she had become an accepted member of the team. She brought an even keel to the team it hadn't had before. Where Gibbs was slow to offer encouragement and quick to anger, she offered a smoother approach to encouraging and helping her teammates and tended to miraculously alleviate Gibbs' bad moods. The men on the team immediately took to her. Tony of course was quite flirtatious and tried desperately to impress her. She took him to lunch and encouraged him to tone down his outrageousness. It was not going to ever get her into his bed, and while she enjoyed the movie and sports banter, she did not enjoy the constant anxious sexual strutting. She could tell he had been recently hurt, or had recently hurt someone else, or both, and she could be his friend if he needed someone to talk to. She knew most men compartmentalized their feelings about their job from their friends. But she could actually be a very good friend if he would let her. By the time they left their lunch on the bistro sidewalk, Tony had completely changed the way he treated her. It wasn't all about him anymore. He opened doors politely and even his gait was different. It took days for some people to noticed, but Gibbs noticed a more relaxed Tony and a stronger relationship between Chanel and Tony immediately. He felt a twinge of jealousy, but dismissed it. He needed his two senior agents to work well together, and Tony's constant disrespect towards Chanel had to end, or he would end it for them. It looked like Chanel had taken care of the situation in her own graceful way.

McGee was easier to work with. Chanel shared his love of all things computing and was an equal to him in that. That provided Gibbs three star players on the computer front and he welcomed the addition. Chanel also recognized the talent McGee had demonstrated in his mystery novel, albeit a bit too purple prose for her taste, she had enjoyed some of the grittier aspects. She told him she thought she should write the sex scenes in his next book. He was holding back too much and things could get much hotter. He was intrigued and not entirely due to his interest in strengthening his book.

Abby was a tougher case. She continued to be very distraught over the loss of Kate, and to have a beautiful woman with a secret past join the team was painful. Abby, despite the rules, had tried to access Chanel's files every way she could and was blocked at every turn. Chanel continued to be professional and allow Abby her time to grieve. They shared an interest in forensics, and both had higher level degrees in the subject so they could talk about that. Chanel was also interested in some of Abby's clothing choices to add to her repertoire. Abby eventually promised to take her shopping and they tentatively agreed to a girl's day soon.

Chanel became used to the comings and goings of the team. They'd get a call out and head out in either cars or the van. Gibbs had been right about needing jeans or pants because the crime scenes were terrible on clothes. Gibbs discovered her skill at sketching the scenes. She could quickly draw a scene with complete detail and measurements in such detail it almost looked like a photograph. After that, she was always on the sketch detail.

One morning the team was called out to the motel at the navy yard. The discovery had been made by a couple checking in. For the first time, Chanel actually gagged at the stench and the images before her. Some sadist took human remains and sliced them into luncheon meat sized pieces and laid them out across all the furniture and bed. She concentrated on her sketching and not on the stench and inhumane aspects before her. She soon finished, and Ducky soon recovered all the pieces and drove away. She went out to the car and started drawing from memory pictures of Afghanistan, pictures of Gibbs, pictures of the Special Ops guys, anything to draw her mind away from those images. She had a feeling these pictures might stick with her like the images from the movie "Seven" which given all she had seen in her relatively short life, was saying something. Gibbs came up quietly behind her, even though she could sense his presence. She always knew where he was, even when he was nowhere near her.

"What are you doing?"

She didn't even turn around to look at him, just showed him the pictures. First he looked at the pictures she had just finished. He felt a pleasurable jolt go through him when he saw his picture prominently displayed on the page. He saw Afghanistan, her Special Ops team, which spurred a little jealousy. Then he flipped to the page before it and saw the image of the room they had just left perfectly drawn. It had obviously disturbed her and hence the next page of drawing… places and people she found comfort in.

Gibbs sighed, asking a question he already knew the answer to. "Are these your Special Ops bodyguards? And Afghanistan? I understand why you would find comfort in your friends, but why Afghanistan?"

She smiled slowly and turned to face him, leaning against the car, allowing him to be very close to her, seriously invading her space. "The men on that page are men who make me feel safe, cared for. I do take comfort in them, even when they are not around, like the Special Ops guys, or unavailable like you. I take comfort in the rocky snow covered terrain of Afghanistan I suppose because I spent so long there. I made a lot of friends there, both on my team and Afghanis. That scene in that room was extraordinarily disturbing. In all the things I have seen in my violent life that is one I will not forget easily."

"Come on, we are done here. I'll take you back to the base." Gibbs voice was gruff as he leaned across her body. His arm brushed against her, but not enough to be an invitation. She knew he was dating Col. Hollis Mann, and as always she respected a relationship already formed.

"You don't want me to ride in the van?"

"Would I have mentioned it if I did? I'm standing here holding the door open for you, are you going to get in?"

She looked deep into his eyes and felt the electric shock she always did and wondered if he felt it too. She slipped gracefully into the bucket car seat with her pack and sketch pad. He closed the door and got in the other side and started to drive away.

There was silence in the car, until he finally asked, "Why do you find me unavailable, Chanel?"

She smiled slightly. "There are so many reasons, Gibbs. You are intent on maintaining your privacy, which I can appreciate, but it does make you a hard man to get to know. I know the boss. I walk around behind you fixing hurt feelings, explaining what you want, making people feel better after you scream at them. Your head slaps are your way of paying attention to them, although I seem to be immune to that sort of attention. You are always extra respectful to me, opening doors, bringing me coffee, you are always watching my back. But that is all at work. It's the man behind the head slaps and the coffee I want to know. But that man is currently attached to Col. Mann. Hence the reason I find you unavailable."

The drive continued in silence after Chanel explained herself to Gibbs until he finally pulled into the parking space at NCIS. He sat still, not making an effort to get out of the car. "I know you follow behind me smoothing my rough edges. The team seems to run better. Somehow you do it without taking away my dominant leadership, and yet the team listens to you and respects you. I appreciate it. I don't head slap Abby but I do kiss her on the cheek. I don't head slap you because I think I might get my hand tangled in your hair and never let go. Same reason I don't kiss you on the cheek. Abby is like a young girl to me and everything is completely innocent, at least on my part. I would not be able to say that for you. You go on with the others, I'm going for coffee."

She let him leave without taking the last word from him. She was pleasantly surprised at what he had revealed. It must have been really difficult for him to say anything at all, so she was going to enjoy the words and take everything at a snail's pace.

By the end of the day, the team had discovered the TRO Abby had filed against a man named Mikel. Gibbs went ballistic, Abby cried, everyone was upset since they were just now finding out about Abby's stalker and the lengths by which he would bring her into a crime. He had staged the whole scene at the motel to drag NCIS out. She went to stay at McGee's for the night and Mikel found her there. Then she decided to stay at the NCIS building and he found her there, scaring her out of her wits this time. Chanel finally spoke up against the hysterics going on in the lab.

"SILENCE!" she yelled. "Everyone needs to just calm down. Mikel is in custody and Gibbs will interrogate him. Meanwhile, Abby and I are going to my home. We'll get some sleep, definitely sleep in, play dress up in the morning, and be in around lunch. She can then make her court appointment."

Tony was panicked at the thought of losing both Abby and Chanel. "She has to be safe. Is your place safe? She doesn't know how to shoot or protect herself at all. Can you cover both of you?"

"Tony, first of all breathe. Secondly, I am aware of what she can and cannot do, and personally I am horrified none of you have taken the time to teach her to defend herself with weapons and not just her superb wits. It is only a matter of time, as demonstrated today, when she will come against a bad guy. If she will let me, I will teach her multiple defense skills so she can rely on herself and not one of you to ride to her rescue. Thirdly, after the White House, the Pentagon, and the Capitol Building, I'm taking her to a virtual Fort Knox. She will be absolutely safe. And fourth, Tony and the rest of you for that matter, I can defend all of you single handedly, with your weapon of choice," Chanel paused and looked to Gibbs. "Now Gibbs, Abby is about to drop from exhaustion. Can I take her home now, please? Do you want me to take her to her court presentation?"

"We'll get a Federal Marshall to take her to the courthouse. We'll see the two of you here by noon."

Abby jumped up, excited to see Chanel's digs, and get out of the tension-filled room. "Bye- guys. See you tomorrow."

Chanel just waved haphazardly at all the men but gave a special smile at Gibbs before she left.

He caught her smile, looked at her regretfully, and asked her to call him when they were home safe. She returned the slightly sad look and nodded her head as the elevator doors closed.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Chapter 3**

* * *

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 3

Abby oohed and ahhed over Chanel's Mercedes. It was a small two seater, very fast, and very expensive. And Chanel drove it like the commercial race car it was. They pulled up to a set of gates with marine guards at the front, opening the gates for them to enter. Chanel led Abby up the stone stairs to the huge front doors that she unlocked with a pass key and code entry. The entry hall was three stories high and hung with a flag and portraits everywhere. She led Abby to the kitchen because neither of them had eaten in many hours. Chanel fixed them both omelets with some juice while they giggled and laughed all their fear, disgust and frustration out. Finally exhaustion took over, and Chanel led a very tired Abby up the curving staircase that reminded Abby of something out of "Gone with the Wind". The guest room Chanel provided Abby with had a huge four poster bed, and its own private bath with giant shower and tub.

"Sleep as long as you like Abby. I'll get you up in time to get dressed and to NCIS by noon."

"Oh my God, Chanel. I don't have my court clothes! What am I going to wear?"

"You are going to wear some of my stuff. It will fit just fine. Do you need anything else, something to help you sleep?"

"No, I'm good. Toothbrush, toothpaste?"

"Under the sink. My room is just three doors down the hall. Come get me if you need something. Good night Abby. I'm sorry this day has sucked for you."

Both women fell asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows.

* * *

Chanel got up and got dressed, a little dressier than usual, but she doubted there would be any bloody crime scenes today. She wore a Vera Wang black wrap-around dress, tied on the side. It fit tightly against her skin and was extremely flattering. She wore her vibrant auburn red hair down, and had assorted weapons hidden on her body. She was ready and now was the time to get Abby up, fed, and dressed for her big day.

Abby loved the dress Chanel had picked out for her. It was a black Prada sheath that hit at the knee, with a matching black jacket. Chanel styled her hair to mostly hide the neck tattoo, and let Abby do her own makeup making a few suggestions. Then she gave her some of her jewelry to polish the whole outfit off. Some large diamond earrings and a single large diamond drop set against the black looked stunning.

Abby looked in the mirror ecstatic about how she looked. "I can't wait for the guys to see this. I look amazing! Thank you."

"And not a hint of polyester in sight. Now Abby, I want to give you something in case something goes wrong and you have to protect yourself."

"I can't carry a gun, Chanel."

"I know sweetie. But you can carry this." Chanel handed Abby her super tazer. "If someone tries to attack you, you shoot them with this. They can be maybe 10 feet away. It won't kill them but it will knock them off their feet and stun them almost unconscious. You just aim and pull the trigger. Carry it in your purse, ok?"

"Got it. Thank you. Now let's go show the guys before I have to do my thing at the courthouse. I don't know who I hope to make a bigger impression on, Gibbs or McGee."

Chanel heard the remark and gave nothing away as they walked to the car. Gibbs? Abby really did have feelings for Gibbs, but she was sure those feelings were not shared. Were they?

Abby babbled her babble speak almost all the way to NCIS and then started prepping for the case she was providing evidence for later that day. Chanel pulled the car into her slot and soon the two women stepped off the elevator. Gibbs found himself watching the elevator every time it dinged hoping to see Chanel, but this time it dinged, Abby, looking more stunning than he had ever seen her, walked off followed carefully behind by Chanel. He caught Chanel's eyes, the relief she was safe showing in his face. He knew she was walking a discrete distance behind Abby because she didn't want to steal Abby's thunder. Chanel was always perfectly dressed, even in jeans. But Abby never wore anything but Goth, so seeing her in very expensive designer wear was a pleasure.

All the excitement and pleasure at Abby's reformation entertained for a while. Chanel watched from her desk, silently enjoying all the attention Abby received. McGee was flabbergasted as usual, Tony was pleasantly surprised and as a 'ladies man' he kept the charm on full force. Gibbs gave her a tiny kiss on the cheek, saying something in her ear that was probably terribly understated as was his way, but caused Abby to almost faint with pleasure. Chanel's desk phone rang and the Federal Marshall was downstairs ready to take Abby to the courthouse.

Abby quickly gathered her things and Tony escorted her downstairs. It was only about 15 minutes later they realized they had just delivered her into the other stalker's hands. Gibbs had been explaining the secondary stalker of unknown purposes, and while Mikel had done many things wrong, his latest actions were his clumsy psychopathic way of warning Abby. He'd been breaking the TRO and accidentally caught the second stalker on film. Gibbs and Tony ran off to intercept, where they found Abby using the tazer gun on the killer over and over again. Gibbs took her to her court appearance, and Tony took the bad guy to interrogation.

By the end of the day, they had their case wrapped up. Abby was safe and agreed to let Chanel teach her to protect herself, and multiple bad guys were in jail now. Abby wanted desperately to go out to dinner.

She whined to Gibbs, "But Gibbs, I'm all dressed up with nowhere to go. Please? We never go out as a team." She even went so far as to pout, which amused Chanel to no end.

Gibbs looked at Chanel, "What are you laughing at?" He was embarrassed by Abby's childlike display and his frustration came out as a snap at Chanel.

"I wasn't laughing at you Gibbs. I was laughing at the depths to which Abby will go to have you join us for dinner. The pout was a pretty good pout, Abby, but doesn't typically work on the hard core military man, except maybe in the bedroom. McGee, Tony, and I are in for dinner. Gibbs, will you please leave your boats for later and join us?"

He stared into Chanel's eyes. There was no begging, pleading, or otherwise unseemly guile at work, just an honest desire to have him join them, join her, for dinner. They both knew he would agree just because she asked.

"Ok, but don't think I'm buying every time we do this. You guys are more familiar with the restaurants around."

Abby jumped up and down, and Chanel motioned her to slow down and act more ladylike. She was after all dressed like a lady. Everyone started throwing out names, and finally Chanel threw out Madam's Organ.

"It's got Creole Soul Food, live Jazz every night and a very small dance floor. Great food, great drinks, and the Jazz is great, and it is not too expensive."

Every one enthusiastically agreed to that, although Gibbs was reticent as usual.

They headed out to their cars and would meet up there. Gibbs could hear Chanel speaking in French to someone at the restaurant she obviously knew well, reserving a table, estimating 30 minutes till they got there. Tony made sure Abby would get there and get home, while Gibbs walked Chanel to her car parked, not accidently, next to his.

"We have never done this you know, gone out to dinner. The occasional bar is the extent of it. This is your doing, Chanel."

"This was not my idea, but Abby's. Is it so bad to have dinner with your co-workers every so often? And just think, you might get to dance with me if Tony doesn't monopolize my time. You'll have an excuse to bury your hands in my hair. Or you could invite Col. Mann to join us. You are the only one of us attached. It would be reasonable."

"Hollis and I are no longer seeing each other. She wanted a commitment and I could not give that to her. As for dancing, yes we will dance, and I will bury my hands in your hair, but I'm afraid I won't remove them again."

"I'm sorry about you and Hollis. I really am. We'll talk about your commitment issues later. Right now, we go to dinner. I wish we could ride together but I will go straight home, which is not driving by NCIS. And maybe someday you will bury your hands in my hair and you will be able to remove them at your leisure, but tonight I don't think will be that night. Too many eyes watching, don't you think?"

He smiled at her softly and opened her door without answering or commenting on her last statement. "Drive safely. I'm right behind you." He closed her door and walked to his while she started hers. About half an hour later they joined the rest of the team at a table set for 7, including Ducky and Palmer. The jazz hadn't started yet, but the ambiance music was wonderful. Their table was right at the dance floor with an unobstructed view of the band. It was perfect. The owners came to greet cheré Chanel and meet her friends. They would definitely get the finest service tonight. The band would be on and they hoped everyone would join in the slow bluesy jazz. Chanel assured them they would enjoy the company, the food, and the music. They left shortly afterwards and platters of food started to arrive, about the time the music started.

Gibbs was shocked. "We haven't even ordered yet!"

Chanel smiled a big smile and touched his bare arm since he had removed his jacket. "I ordered family style an assortment of things that people might want to try. Eat baby eat."

Oops, that just slipped out. He looked surprised and then happy and then laughed. He watched the dancers with interest, and turned back to look at her while her eyes smoldered back at him. He leaned into her ear and speaking in French asked if this was the kind of dancing that went on all night.

She laughed at him naughtily and whispered back in his ear, "Yes, Gibbs. This is how one dances here. It is very sexy, couples grinding slowly against each other, hands running along bodies, feeling each other's heat. If you dance, and I understand if you aren't comfortable with this, but if you do you will definitely need a cold shower afterwards. If you dance with me, I will be disappointed if you don't get hard. I want to feel you, just like I think you want to feel me. But if you get hard over Abby, I will be greatly disappointed."

"And what of you and Tony? I think I might shoot him. This is why these team dinner things are not a good idea."

"They are a great idea. Tony is like a brother to me and while he might have felt a certain way before, I definitely know he feels for me like a sister and a friend, possibly a best friend. There is no conflict. He does not make me hot. You make me hot. This provides us some degree of cover for how we are starting to feel. We go at a baby crawl, Gibbs. I don't like to make mistakes and I think you have probably made enough." He raised his eyebrows at such a direct and critical statement from Chanel, but chose to just listen to it and keep his mouth shut.

The group ate, drank, talked, and laughed. There was a sense of relief in tension from the last two days of fear over Abby's life. Abby, who was the guest of honor, decided it was time to dance and grabbed Gibbs. Gibbs tried to beg off, but he always had a hard time saying no to her, and soon found himself on the dance floor. Fortunately the floor was crowded and Abby, sensitive to Gibbs' discomfort, went towards the back of the floor. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close, while he pulled away an appropriate distance. She ground against him, her back pressed to him while she guided his arms and body to follow the moves. Gibbs was horrified at being seen and held like this, by Abby and maybe by anyone. Chanel actually felt sorry for him. Abby was dancing with sexual abandon instead of going easy on Gibbs. Chanel doubted she would ever get him up there again. She turned to Tony, winked at him with a wicked smile, "Come on Tony, let's show 'em how it is done." Tony gave her his full voltage smile and stood to escort her onto the dance floor. The two of them generated enough heat between them the whole restaurant stopped to watch and the dance floor cleared. The dance was extraordinarily slow and every movement they made matched that slowness, the backwards grind, the hands running the length of the body, the length of the arms, all very very slow. Her dress hung on her ripe body and Tony's hands covered her entirely. It was almost porn, fully clothed.

'When you came in the air went out, and every shadow filled up with doubt, I don't know who you are but before the night is through I want to do bad things to you.' And the song went on, slow and sexy and full of heavy breathing. It was slow and nasty and so was their dance.

When the song finished, there wasn't a dry pair of panties or flat pair of pants in the place. There was applause when the song finished, as much for the band as for the two dancers that had steamed up the room. The floor became packed again after they left. Tony leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Any other girl, I'd be taking you home now. But you are my best friend, and I'll settle for a cold shower." He kissed her cheek, held her chair for her and returned to his chair. He looked unafraid at Gibbs, while Gibbs had a completely blank look on his face. Tony knew Gibbs had nothing to fear, but Gibbs wasn't so sure. Yeah, there was technically no relationship between Chanel and Gibbs, and they really did try, but no one was fooled.

Chanel leaned over to Gibbs whispering in his ear, "THAT is how you dance here, not whatever Abby was showing you. If you want to give it a try, I'm game, but I understand if you don't want to."

"Thank you for the out. I think we can create that kind of heat, but I don't think I can do that kind of dancing. You can dance again with Tony, but it looks like he has a line forming."

"But you don't really want me dancing with Tony again, do you?"

"Not really. But I have no right to ask. You enjoy it so much obviously."

They were interrupted by the waitress delivering a drink to Chanel, which she sent away without a look towards the gift giver. Then men started coming to the table asking to dance with Chanel, one even going so far as to touch her. She grabbed his hand subtly and whispered to him, "I am a Federal Agent, as is everyone at this table. We are armed in more ways than you can imagine, and I can break every bone in this hand that you dared to touch me with without a thought. I suggest you take yourself on home, via cab since you are clearly drunk. Try to drive home and I'll have the locals pick you up for a DUI. Test me." She released his hand, motioned for the waiter and asked him to get the miscreant a cab.

That small scene scared off the rest of the dance suitors. When an appropriate song came up, Chanel leaned over and asked Gibbs to dance with her and then they would leave. It was just a nice slow bluesy song originally sung by Nina Simone. It was a nice basic slow song that wouldn't embarrass him but would allow them to slow dance, and he was right as they danced the steam between the two of them was hard to miss. They held their foreheads touching, breathing in each other. Holding each other so close, no air could pass between them. The world disappeared beyond the two of them and they never would have left that world if the music hadn't ended. They reluctantly parted and headed back to the table. Chanel had already tactfully taken care of the bill and by unspoken agreement, Gibbs and her headed towards their cars.

"I'll just follow you home if that is ok?"

"Want to make sure I get home safe and sound? Protect me from wanna be dance partners?"

"Yeah, I think you are safe enough on your own. I'm just looking for an excuse to see this "awesome" mansion that Abby went on and on about."

Chanel laughed at his weak excuse, "You don't care about where I live, but I would like for you to follow me home."

He smiled at her and opened her car door, and got in his to follow her home. They ended up in front of a huge white mansion surrounded by a gigantic wrought iron fence, electrified, and two on duty very armed guards. Chanel pulled her car up to the gate without opening it, and Gibbs pulled his car behind hers. She walked over to his car and smiled suggestively.

"What? I don't get invited inside the gilded gates?"

"Nope, those are the rules. You can enter the pearly gates a little longer into whatever is going on between us. Now, this is as far as you get Agent Gibbs."

He got out of his car, while she leaned with her back against his car. "When it is just us, you think it could be Jethro?"

"Hmm, that could be ripe for slipping, sorta like the 'baby' earlier."

"Chanel, I have a feeling that even though nothing has happened between us, we aren't fooling anyone. I'm not saying we should do anything different, but let's not fool ourselves that anyone is being fooled by our presumed lack of interest."

She leaned against his car and he moved very much into her personal space, close but not touching.

"Jethro, can I ask you something? It is kind of strange."

"OooK." He wasn't sure he wanted to hear the question.

"When you look at me, really look where our eyes meet meaningfully, does anything happen for you?"

"I feel a jolt. I've never felt it before, but I have ever since you first stood at my desk."

She gave him a soft and reassuring smile. "Yeah, me too. Do you think you could kiss me now?"

He rolled his eyes along with his head slightly and looked at her. "I think if I don't kiss you I will implode."

"Can't have that. Kiss away, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs moved till his body pressed against her. They both dipped and teased each other without actually touching lips until Gibbs moved to reach her lips, taste her, feel her smooth lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she opened her lips to accept his tongue begging entrance. As urgent as they both felt, his kiss was languorous and soft and she went wet instantly. She pressed her body even closer to him. They finally broke the kiss, but not the full body contact. Their breathing was ragged and fast.

Gibbs looked Chanel in the eyes, giving that electric jolt they both felt. "Wow!" He shook his head in surprise.

"Yeah, maybe we should try that again, Jethro. You know, just to make sure it isn't just a one-time thing."

He gave her a slight smile and went in for another kiss. And again, the racing pulse, the soft tongue strokes, the tasting of lips, and once broken away, the heavy breathing. The couple leaned their foreheads together, feeling the fast breathing from each other.

"Ok, second test replicates first experience. You are amazing, Jethro. And while I never want to break away from you…"

"We said slow and easy, no mistakes."

"Yeah. So I'm going to let go of you and walk back over to my car, drive myself in, and take a cold shower, a long cold shower."

"I think that is my plan too. Goodnight Chanel. Thanks for getting us to do this."

"Good night Jethro. Sweet Dreams."

He laughed slightly as he closed her door and she started her car and drove through the gates that closed behind her.

A/N: The song playing at Madame Organs is from Jace Everett called 'Bad Things.' It is the theme song to True Blood.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Chapter 4**

* * *

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 4

A month later the team was wrapping up a case about an Admiral killed in a taxi cab. Everyone was sitting around congenially completing reports talking about the weekend. Chanel's phone rang from the front desk.

"Chanel," she answered with her sultry voice.

Elizabeth at the front desk spoke somewhat in awe in response, "Agent Atherton, General Atherton is here with some friends of yours. He is on his way up."

"My FATHER is here, now?"

The team looked up a bit terrified and started immediately cleaning up their areas. Gibbs immediately picked up the phone to notify the Director.

"Yes, m'am. They are in the elevator now. Good luck Chanel. They are a pretty rowdy group."

Chanel hung up the phone, checked her mirror, popped a mint and waited for the known and unknown to exit the elevator.

She quickly asked Tony to call Abby and Ducky and ask them to join her.

The laughter could be heard through the elevator doors and then the 'DING' and the group poured out into the bull pen. Chanel saw her father first, he was an imposing figure, and following him was her Special Ops angels, all of them. They were laughing and carrying on until they entered the bull pen and instantly they regained their composure. Chanel lost her composure, shrieking when she saw them throwing herself into the Major's arms first hugging and kissing him, and making her way around the group. By the time she finished, she was crying unashamedly. She then gave her father a big hug and smiled at him through her tears.

"You brought them home. For good?"

"Yeah, baby. For good. They've done their time. They will take on assignments here on US soil, close to home. I couldn't have brought you home and left them there for much longer. It seemed the least we could do."

She reached up and kissed her father. "Thank you so much. I'd like to introduce you and the team to the team I work with now, and I'm sure the Director would like to meet them as well." She brought the men closer to the window and whispered, "The team I work with have not been read in to my assignment or the role you played. We'll have to be circumspect as possible. Gibbs and the Director are fully briefed."

She proudly introduced Tony, Tim, Abby, and Ducky to both her father and the Special Ops team. She explained that as a team they held a special place in her heart, having risked their lives repeatedly to save hers. They were her friends forever. She then turned to Gibbs and the Director asking if perhaps they could retire to the conference room to further talk. The team relaxed a bit being isolated again. They were always more comfortable being on their own. At the same time they were desperate to reconnect with Chanel, but also to reconnect with people in general, preferably girls.

The General invited the Special Ops team to his home the next night, Saturday night, for a casual dinner. Their wives were invited and any girlfriends they might have. The General asked how the team felt about inviting Chanel's new NCIS team to the party. There was a lot of discussion about if the party would be dampened because everyone had not been read in. Finally Chanel whistled loudly to get everyone's attention.

"Look guys. I won't speak to one way of the other, but I think it is important to note that none of the wives or girlfriends have been read in either. Either it is this happy little group or the whole group. What do you want to do? Personally, I'd like to party with my friends in both groups and not talk shop. It is possible to not talk about all the scary shit that happened in Afghanistan. No need for the hero stuff to come up. We all did amazing stuff that no one needs to know. The funny stories, yeah fine. The scary stuff, we just cannot discuss. Do you want to eat the best steaks in town, dance, drink, and go home in cabs for an evening back home?" Several in the group gave enthusiastic nods. "Then let's take the General up on his offer. If not, or you want to sit around and remember war stories about truly evil people, then let's just hang with the Afghanistan team and remember bad dreams. While I would participate in both, I prefer the first option, as I'm sure your wives would appreciate it as well."

The guys all looked at each other and back at the General. Major Gifford turned to the General, speaking for the whole group, embracing the idea of having the two teams over for dinner. Chanel was thrilled, laughed and asked her father what time so she could let the rest of the team know.

"Do NOT leave without stopping by my desk. I am so glad you are all home safely."

She turned to Gibbs, "Do you want to pass the invitation on Jethro?" She wanted to be sure and respect him in every way.

"Go on baby. Let them know. Director, General do you need me to stay or can I get back to work sir?"

Major Gifford, along with the rest of the team, turned in surprise to face Gibbs, while the General and Director snickered. "Baby?" Major Gifford was clearly unhappy.

Gibbs just stared the Major down waiting for him to break contact. It was several long minutes before the Major looked away. Then Gibbs smirked slightly, turned away and left the room.

The General spoke up, "You guys might be Special Ops, all of you officers, and you have performed amazing and heroic acts. But the man that just left is a former Gunnery Sergeant, one of the best snipers in the Marine Corps while his eyesight held. He has more medals and more accommodations than the lot of you, so I expect you to lose the attitude and treat him with the respect he deserves. Just a few of his medals include the Silver Star and the Distinguished Service Cross. He has earned the right to be in this room, and he has earned the right to date my daughter, albeit very slow and carefully. I trust we won't have any more issues here."

There was a group, "Yes, sir," to the General, even though there were still a number in the room that did not think he was good enough for Chanel.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Chapter 5**

* * *

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 5

The General was nothing if not a control freak. He had everything for the party completely organized and planned. The guards at the gate had the names and photographs of all attendees. He had tables set with name plates assigned, food prepared, grill was hot, drinks were on ice. Flowers on all the tables, music playing, dance floor set up, a perfect outside party.

Chanel dressed carefully, yet casually. She wore black very low cut jeans, starting two inches below her navel. She wore a backless black top that went up her neck and was sleeveless, but left her abdomen exposed. She straightened her hair like she almost never did and pulled it to the side with an emerald and diamond hair clip. She also added slave bracelets on her upper arms that were encrusted with diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. And she went barefoot.

Chanel asked the steward answering the door to send Gibbs to her room when he arrived. She was drinking her favorite scotch, dancing slightly to the music in her room watching the party grow downstairs. There was a soft knock on her door and she answered the door, inviting Jethro Gibbs into her room for the first time.

He was appropriately wowed by her appearance, and more than a little concerned that things could get out of hand tonight, between him and her, and her and her Special Ops team.

"You are stunning, Chanel. I don't think I have ever seen a more beautiful woman."

"Why thank you Jethro. I was hoping you would escort me downstairs to the party."

"Of course I will. But Chanel, your Special Ops team, they don't all consider themselves your brothers. They are going to be all over you dressed like that."

"Baby, if that is true than I get to kick some ass. You, Jethro, will not get involved. Let me handle it."

"You think I can't handle it?"

"I heard about the stare down that you won with Gifford. I think you can handle anything Jethro. I don't want a pissing match to go on between you, who I hope to take as my lover, and the others who protected my life for two years. Some of them may have feelings for me that I need to nip in the bud, but I can do that more effectively without damaging relationships, whereas if you get involved someone might get dead. I don't want that."

"Ok. But if I see something that isn't being dealt with, I will deal with it."

"Fair enough. Now Jethro, I think you have neglected something." She moved slowly towards him, almost stalking him. "Do you know what it is?"

"Hmm… I think I might have an idea. How should I make it up to you?" He had a slight smirk as she slid her body against his.

Chanel lifted her face to him while he brought his lips to hers. They teased each other attempting to kiss the other, but not really moving towards it very fast. They pressed themselves together tightly and then finally let their lips connect, the expected shock striking through their bodies igniting their growing passion. Soon they were making out standing up, until Gibbs finally moved them to her bed where they continued their close contact. A lot of heavy petting started until they were both very hot and very bothered, even though no clothing was removed. They both mutually rolled away from each other taking some deep cooling breaths.

"Gibbs, we have to move forward. I can't keep this up. I want you. But I want commitment too. I want both. Can you give me both?"

"I don't know. I adore you, you know that. I want you more than I could ever imagine. But do you really want to marry a man that has been married 4 times? I never would want to hurt you. I just don't know."

"Let's give it two more months to see if you can commit to me. I know you are committed in that you aren't seeing anyone else. I would never tolerate that. But you decide in the next two months. I'm ready. You get ready, or I have to move on baby. I'll continue to date you, but I will date others too." She got up feeling disappointed and suddenly tired, fixed her hair and makeup, readjusted her clothes and was ready to join the party.

"Are you coming Jethro?" she asked him as he continued lying on the bed staring at the ceiling. "Our difficulties do not need to be seen publicly, Jethro. Let's put on a really good face. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Jethro got off the bed and wrapped his arm around her, kissed her on her perfect hair and left her room and headed down the stairs.

Chanel met everyone graciously and happily, and took her position between Gibbs and the Major. They enjoyed their meal and drinks, and the music started for dancing. The General and Chanel took to the dance floor first, leading many others to the floor by getting things started. Chanel danced with all her Special Ops team, although the ones with wives she only danced with once or twice. Gibbs danced with her during many of the slow dances. Other of the single guys split her time with slow dances and some of the friskier fast dances. She had a great time, keeping in mind her conversation with Jethro earlier. While everyone was very appreciative of her outfit, no one misbehaved even with some of the dirtier dancing that went on.

By 2:00 in the morning, the party had officially wound down. There were a few stragglers like Abby who could stay up all night, but unfortunately Tim could not. A few of the Special Ops team had gotten very drunk and were awaiting cabs. Chanel stayed up with all of them seeing them off like a good hostess. A few of the drunker guys tried to tongue her when they kissed her goodbye but she was quick about politely turning them away quietly. Soon everyone was gone except Gibbs. The General retired upstairs to his room as soon as everyone else had left. Gibbs and Chanel walked hand in hand around the perimeter of the property, her bare feet enjoying the lushness of the grass below. They talked very little, both feeling a little talked out from the party.

Chanel quietly asked, not wanting to disturb the silence that wrapped around them, "You hated every moment of that party didn't you?"

Gibbs rubbed his hand over his eyes and across his stubbled cheek. "Pretty much. I enjoyed the time spent with you, but it was hard when everyone was around. I felt like all eyes were on us the whole time. I'm a private man, Chanel. I don't care for parties or people I don't know. I noticed that your Major, now Lt. Colonel Gifford seemed uncomfortable as well."

She smiled in the darkness. "Tommy Gifford is very much like you. He leads extraordinarily well, he hates crowds, operates on intuition, despises recognition of all kinds and would much prefer private affairs. He was more comfortable at this gathering because it was mostly his people, and he was sitting beside me who he prefers above all others. All eyes weren't on us the whole time, but certainly quite a bit. Everyone is just wondering how you are going to treat me. That is especially true for the guys and my father. Your number of marriages and divorces has not gone unnoticed. And the guys from Ops? There is no way they will let me get hurt. They spent two years protecting me. They aren't going to let me get my heart broken stateside, by you, by one of their own, by someone else. And a couple made it clear that if you didn't step up soon, they would."

Gibbs looked at her with a frown. "And you will let them supplant me that easily? That is not a very deep love Chanel."

"Jethro, I feel very deeply for you. I have told you I love you repeatedly. I have told you I want us to be together. But I have received none of that in return. I have yet to hear the words I love you come from your mouth. And you could not commit to Hollis, why should I believe I will be any different? I will give you time, but not an infinite amount of time. What you see is what you get, the beauty, the wealth, the danger, the parties. Take it or leave it. Our slow crawl has brought us to this point. Now I want more. I want desperately to bring you to my bed and for you to make love to me. But I cannot, I will not, until I know I am not just another weigh station through your life along with all the other women. There have been very few men for me. I have chosen carefully and chosen well. I make very few mistakes."

They walked in an uncomfortable silence until they reached the front porch. Gibbs pulled Chanel up the steps and into his lap as he sat in an oversized rocker. She was tired and disheartened and curled up in his lap, laying her head between his neck and shoulder.

"Chanel, I do love you. I want to be with you. But the political parties, the overwhelming wealth, I don't know about. I need time, but I don't expect you to wait for me. If you want to date others, I understand."

"Now who sounds like they have a not very deep love Jethro? You say you love me, and that you want to be with me, but now it's ok for us to not be exclusive? Wow. Ok. You know how I feel. You lead. Good night baby." He could hear the hurt and pain in her voice and it was overwhelming. She stood up from his lap, leaned over and gently kissed him good night and walked into the house.

He waited a few more minutes and got in his car and drove away.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Chapter 6**

* * *

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 6

A month passed by quickly. They were drowning in dead bodies, serial killers, and drug schemes. To her credit, Chanel acted entirely professional with Gibbs and continued her normal camaraderie with her co-workers. Tony and Chanel established a regular lunch date every week, as did Chanel, Ducky and Abby. Gibbs never went to lunch with her. Two weeks after the party he asked her to dinner and she agreed. Granted it was a weeknight so they could not stay out late, but dinner was delightful and Gibbs was completely charming. They didn't go out that weekend, much to her surprise. She found out later he had spent Saturday night entertaining a beautiful software manager who turned out to be the perpetrator of the crime they were investigating. He found out she was guilty from the DNA of the cigarettes they had smoked while he showed her how he built his boats. Gibbs had never even invited her to his house or offered to show her his boats. Still, she held her tongue and moved on as painful as it was. She would never let anyone know.

The next Friday was the President's Ball. Many congressmen and women, high ranking military personnel, some press, ambassadors from various countries, and of course the Supreme Court was invited although most chose not to go. It was an overwhelming and overpopulated event and Chanel dreaded it every year. If she was in country, she had to attend with the General. The President insisted and they always danced several dances. This year she would be escorted not only by her father but also by Lt. Colonel Gifford. They had gone out earlier in the week for dinner. There always had been a certain intensity between them in their two year mission in Afghanistan, but circumstances did not permit anything to change. Now circumstances had changed, and they were beginning to allow that intensity to develop. Chanel explained the on-going ambiguous nature of her and Gibbs' relationship and the more casual tone it had taken of late. She even explained that they apparently had an open relationship, as they were both dating others, although he had gone out first. Gifford could tell she was hurt by the whole turn of events, but he stayed neutral. If she went back to Gibbs, he did not want to have said anything that might later prove harmful to their shifting relationship. He was thrilled when she asked him to accompany her to the ball. He of course had his own invitation, but would like no one more than Chanel to accompany him.

That Friday Chanel came to work in her usual attire, worked on paperwork most of the day and around 4:30 shut her computer down. She left her desk and as she passed Gibbs' desk his throaty voice spoke up even though he didn't bother to raise his head. "You leaving early Chanel?"

"Tonight is the President's Ball, Gibbs. Unfortunately, I am expected to attend by the President himself. I was on my way to get dressed. My escorts will be picking me up in an hour and a half. I came in 30 minutes earlier this morning, so my time is accounted for if you are concerned. The Director has been generous enough to allow me to dress in his office."

"Escorts?"

"I will be accompanied by my father and Lt. Colonel Gifford. Now, if you will allow me, I need to go get ready, Gibbs."

They watched each other carefully, both showing hurt in their eyes, but neither willing to say anything either. Now was not the time or place anyway.

Everyone hung around the bull pen waiting to see Chanel emerge. Her father and the Lt. Colonel had shown up early just to hang out. Both men were dressed immaculately in their dress uniforms, both uniforms covered in medals. Gifford asked if he could speak with Gibbs a moment privately. Gibbs nodded and they walked around the stairs to a private nook.

"Chanel says that you now have a non-exclusive relationship. She also describes it as sadly ambiguous. I know she cares deeply about you, and I thought you felt the same for her. I don't expect you to respond to that. I just want you to know that I am taking on this chore of a ball for the delight of escorting Chanel. I am operating under the assumption that you and she are non-exclusive, and I am not dishonoring her, you, or myself in taking her tonight or to continue seeing her if she wants. And you should know that for some reason she has not chosen to share, she is devastated inside. She has said nothing about it, but I lived in some godforsaken places with her for two years. I know her very well." The two men stared hard at each other, until Gifford finally broke the uncomfortable silence again. "I'll leave you now. I think it is about time for her entrance. You should be there as well."

Gifford turned on his shiny shoe heel and walked back to the bull pen. Gibbs followed much farther behind.

The door to the Director's office opened and Chanel walked out. She was wearing a stunning emerald green dress that matched her eyes. It was both strapless and backless using bone to hold the dress tight and upright. Her breasts were almost spilling out of the shirred corset. The dress fitted her figure tightly until it reached her knees where it flared, shorter in the front with a slight train in the back. Her jewelry was entirely made up of emeralds, with a stunning diamond necklace with an emerald and diamond drop that hit her cleavage perfectly, matching earrings and bracelets. Her hair was scooped up in a purposely messy curly up-do. Abby had helped with her makeup, coloring her eyes in deep smoky tones and red lips. She looked dramatic and dazzling. She slowly walked down the stairs carrying a small matching purse. While all eyes were on her, she took in her Lt. Col as she had taken to calling him. He looked amazing with his dark eyes and chiseled jaw, broad shoulders and smaller waist. He was not an immense man, but he was at least 6 ft or taller. His uniform, at least this one, had to be tailor made to fit an athletic body like his. They would make an amazing pair. Her two escorts met her at the bottom of the stairs, while Abby followed close behind with a bag of her clothes of the day and her weapons. Abby gave the bag to Tony to take to the house tonight. He would be expected. Chanel smiled at everyone and wished them all a terrific weekend, turned with her escorts and left.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Chapter 7**

* * *

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 7

The following Wednesday the team was goofing around a little. Gibbs wasn't around, and there wasn't anyone dead yet for them to investigate. McGee had the mail and was sorting it out, when Tony took a letter addressed to NCIS that had a beautiful pair of lips painted in lipstick, thinking some hot chick had sent it to him. He opened it with his sharp letter opener, blew into the envelope sending some kind of powder everywhere. Gibbs, who was back at his chair by this time, quickly stood and started getting people exited from the building. Chanel immediately called in a hazmat emergency and prearranged procedures began at once. Tony placed the letter and envelope carefully in the trashcan.

Chanel was whisked through shower scrubs, navy pajamas, blood draws, and ended eventually at a biohazard containment facility. She got the pleasure of the facility because she was the closest to Tony when he blew the powder. Soon they were told the pathogen was bubonic plague, but still didn't know if they were infected. Tony took one bed and Chanel was going to take the next one until the doctor suggested she move down to the other end of the row of beds. That way if one was infected it was unlikely to infect the other. Tony was babbling on about movies and the way he thought the lights were fake. He talked about how the situation of reminded him of the bubble boy movie. Chanel listened to him patiently as he listed off one movie after another.

Finally she interrupted his monologue. "Tony, I know you are scared. I am too. Other than being out of here, I would want nothing to come over there and let you hold me so we could comfort each other. I'm glad you are in here with me. You are my best friend and the two of us will get out of here together. I don't have many friends, so you are going out of here with me."

"What about those Special Ops guys? You seem pretty friendly with them."

"Tony I'm close to one of them. The rest are friends but not like you and me. I think they have ulterior motives now that we are stateside, but hey you spend two years in caves and camping in freezing weather under the stars, you really learn about each other and develop a deep meaningful relationship. But you don't sleep together."

"What happened in Afghanistan? What were you doing over there with a bunch of Special Ops? Two years? I can't figure it out."

"You know I can't talk about it." Gibbs had entered the darkened outer area to check on his two quarantined agents and listened unobserved to their conversation.

"Gibbs knows. But Gibbs keeps every secret to the grave, and his whole life is a giant secret. What happened between you? You two were clicking from the first day. Now you are both completely professional but things aren't the same. It's kind of sad. When things were going smoothly it was the first time I actually saw him happy."

"Gibbs is a good man. I love him. He didn't want to make a commitment after all the mistakes he's made. He is afraid he'll hurt me, so he is trying to force me away. And sadly enough he is forcing me into another man's arms. I'm tired. I've done my bit for my country in a big way. I want to be loved deeply and passionately. I want to marry a man who makes my toes curl and my panties wet every time he comes near me, much less kisses me. I want to have children. I want a quiet life Tony. That little, well ok big, house in the country with no neighbors around, dogs and lots of acreage. I have no need to hob nob with the famous and infamous in either the political or military world. Gibbs never asked what I wanted and I never bothered to tell him. We have both made egregious mistakes and may have lost the love of a lifetime. I suppose he already had that with Shannon. I thought I had found mine."

"He is a fool Chanel. A woman who is as beautiful and talented as you should not be passed by. What about this guy you are seeing now, Lt. Col. Gifford? Serious? In love?"

"I don't know, Tony. Tommy is a great man, and he is definitely in love with me. He is honorable, courageous, powerful, kind and the kind of man wet dreams are made of. He is probably on the fast track to Chiefs of Staff. No other woman can turn his head, it's been that way since we met, although nothing ever happened before. The same qualities could be said for Gibbs. Tommy is a younger version of Gibbs. When Gibbs and I are together, when we kiss, electric shocks go through both of us. He started dating others, but I don't know if he takes them to his bed. Unlike Tommy, his head seems to be easily turned. I think that is what hurts the most, that he would dump me for some bimbo, even for a one night stand. I have multiple degrees, have been awarded the highest of recognition from the President, can hold my own against the enemy, and I am beautiful and rich. And yet, his rejection of me has caused my ego to be smashed to smithereens without a doubt. The thought of him kissing or making love to another woman makes me want to tear my hair out. But I would never tell him or show him that. He can never know he has breached my defenses so thoroughly. I will not be another conquest for him, just as I would not for you. He doesn't date me anymore, and we never did anything more than kiss. He might invite me out maybe once every couple of weeks, just enough to string me along. But I am better than that, and deserve better so I went elsewhere." She was quietly crying by now, but kept her voice steady. She laughed suddenly, irony in the tone. "The funniest part of this whole fiasco is that in two years in Afghanistan I killed so many and was never even wounded and now I might die from some disease from the middle ages. I'm not even sure if my father or Tommy know that I'm in here. I'm tired Tony. I'd like to sleep now. Good night." Hopelessness poured from her voice.

The nurse, and maybe the doctor had obviously been listening since the lights suddenly started clicking off and things got quiet.

Tony giggled a little hysterically in the dark. "It's a little 1984-ish don't you think Chanel? The lab rats are in a chamber where invisible people and disembodied voices listen to their every word, control the lighting, more importantly control the air flow. Gives me the creeps."

Chanel giggled too. "You read as well as watch movies? Or was 1984 turned into a movie too? No, stop. Don't answer that. If it was a movie, I don't need to know. I read the book."

They laughed, said good night, and went to sleep.

* * *

Several hours later the softer of the lights came on and the doctor and nurse woke them up. Dr. Pitt, Brad Pitt no relation, started cutting up with Tony about football and their apparently shared game and injury. Chanel was still waking up and was experiencing some kind of cognitive dissonance that they might be dying and the two men were bonding over football. Nurse Emma was taking her vitals.

"Do we have results back yet Emma?" Chanel asked hesitantly.

"You're not infected Chanel." Chanel sighed with relief and a slight smile, then she got concerned.

"And Tony?"

"He is. You will need to leave this chamber. He is going to get very ill and you could get infected from him."

"No, I'm not going. Not yet." Chanel got up from her bed and stormed over to Tony's bed. "You idiot, Tony! Your need to stupidly chase girls got us both infected. Well, now we are just stuck with each other aren't we?"

Tony looked genuinely grieved believing that he had infected Chanel. "I am so sorry, baby. You are honestly the last person in the world I would want this for. But if I am to die, there is also no one I want more to die with me."

Chanel started crying, and returned to her bed. The doctor and nurse with her. They spoke in whispers with Chanel's back towards Tony.

"I am going to stay in here as long as I can. It is important that he not feel like he has lost everyone. Tony needs to surround himself with people to feel safe and he will need that now more than ever. I probably mean more to him than anyone other than maybe Gibbs. You get me the appropriate wear so I can be close to him. Get him the same stuff so he thinks we are both infected. I will stay by his side and wipe his brow and talk movies and sports with him. What are the odds of survival Doctor?" Her voice had become like ice, very detached and very focused. She knew she could hold this façade a long time before she would need a break.

"They are not very good, Ms. Atherton."

"First of all, I did not ask good or bad, I asked percentages. Secondly, since at least one if not both of you are listening in on our conversations, some of which border on top secret, literally, how about you call me Chanel and I call you Brad? Percentages Brad?"

"You are tough."

"You have no idea. Between Gibbs and I, Tony will not die. Percentages?"

"15 percent."

"Fine, get us the equipment. I'll keep up until you tell me it really is time to leave. If you tell me a minute earlier, I'll do bad things to you. Don't think I won't or can't."

"Any woman who spent two years camping out with a Special Ops team in Afghanistan killing bad guys I would never doubt. Looking at the mostly blacked out file I received, and the timing, I can guess at what you did. I won't dismiss you until your life is in too much danger to stay. And given your life to date, I figure you can take a lot."

"Good. I think we understand each other. He is starting to smell ripe and he won't like that. Can either Emma or I give him a sponge bath and change his sheets? I will explain that I just don't seem to be getting as sick as he is. He will figure it out soon enough. And Brad, Emma, don't try to decipher too much of my file and what I was doing over there. It is blacked out for a reason."

They brought the different equipment for them to put on. While waiting, Chanel teased Tony about she was going to give herself a sponge bath and he was not to look. And when she was finished, she would come give him one if he wanted, or Emma.

"You Chanel. I feel terrible and smell worse, but I don't want a stranger around me now. Then we can get dressed in this new stuff they want us in."

"Ok, baby. I am almost done and feel much fresher and clean in the pajamas. They are going to bring gloves and masks for us baby ok? You won't feel my skin on you but you will feel my hands. And when I'm done, I bet you feel a lot better."

They both got dressed, and Emma and Chanel moved Tony to a clean bed, with an IV in. Chanel poured warm water into a basin and started wiping Tony's face and forehead. He sighed at the cool cloth.

"Do you want me to leave that one there? I have others."

"Please."

She undid the buttons of his pajamas and removed the top. "Tony, you've been working out. Nice." She washed his back and his chest, and under both arms. She took some deodorant they brought her and put some under each arm. "I never could stand a smelly man."

Tony was almost asleep, but smiled. "You can clean me any day. Too bad I feel bad enough already that I can't give you a sponge bath."

"Mind out of the gutter Tony. I'm about to hit your lower parts, let's not embarrass each other."

"Don't be offended Chanel, cause if there was ever a woman who could do that for me, it would be you, but I don't think I have it in me right now. Maybe later."

Chanel, with Emma's help pulled off his pajama pants and underwear, but used the sheet to provide him some decency. "Tony, we've had this conversation before. We are just friends, no sex. So no later sponge baths, but maybe another of those hot dances at Madam Organs. We were steaming that night remember?" She washed one side of his leg and foot and without touching him with anything but a wet washcloth cleaned up his privates. She avoided the catheter. She kept talking in a soft deep voice that was causing Tony to fall asleep. She finished his bath and Emma and Chanel redressed him carefully and he barely woke up. She kept wiping his face and burning forehead, holding his hand and soon falling asleep in a chair beside him.

After a while, the doctor came in with a headset for her. Obviously someone wanted to speak with her alone. She put the wireless headset on and moved away from a sleeping Tony. It was Gibbs on the other end.

"Chanel! What the hell are you doing in there? You are not infected, you cannot care for Tony. They have nurses to do that."

Chanel very calmly and carefully responded quietly. "I am wearing the same protective garb the nurse and doctor are wearing. I am as safe as they are under the conditions. I will not leave Tony here alone until I absolutely have to. You and I are the only ones who can sustain his will to live. You because he loves you, fears you, and respects you. Me because he loves me, respects me, and will not die, for me. Why aren't you out getting an antidote?"

"There is no antidote Chanel, at least not one we know of. We have a lead and I'm driving like a madman back to the person we think sent it and the scientist who designed it. Please don't get infected. I don't think I could live with that. If we lose Tony, I don't know what I will do. If you got it and died, I think I would die too. Please be careful, Chanel. I love you." And he hung up. She hated it when he did that.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Chapter 8**

* * *

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 8

Tony was weakening before her very eyes. He hardly spoke at all and had started coughing up blood. He looked at her sadly. Even though the doctor and nurse were there, it was like they were the only two people in the room. Their eyes never wavered from each other. Tony started speaking, almost choking with phlegm and emotion. "Chanel, I know you are not sick and you stayed here for me. I love you for that." Chanel started to cry, tears streaming down her face. "But my time grows short, and under other circumstances I would want you to stay with me while I die, I do not want you to die because of me. That would be a burden on my soul forever. And Gibbs would haunt me in hell forever for allowing you to get sick and die." She laughed slightly through her tears at the truth in that statement. "So please leave now before I get sick enough to infect you. I have only loved one woman before and our love was a web of lies, so I'm not sure it counts. But I love you now. Go, now, before this gets any harder." Then he started coughing and spewing blood and the doctor ordered her out of the room.

Chanel raced out of the room sobbing uncontrollably standing less than patiently under the kill-nasty-bug lights, stripping her outer clothes and gloves off. The doors finally opened and Ducky was standing there and she ran into his arms sobbing into his navy blue jacket. She cried and cried until he finally soothed her enough to think clearly.

"I brought you some clothes, shoes, phone, a replacement badge and an NCIS issue gun. There is a car outside for your use. I thought Jethro might need some help. The lab is close to here. He and Cassie should be arriving there shortly."

She gave him a big hug, carried her goodies off, and turned back to Ducky. "Thank you for my gear Ducky. And I'll take care of the jacket." She turned around ran into the nearby restroom, changed in record time, pulling her hair back in a loose ponytail and ran to the car.

She was at the lab in 15 minutes, was told where the other agents were and ran to the same place. Cassie stood there with a woman in cuffs and she saw Gibbs running down the hall. Chanel took off after him catching up with a guard following him, knocking his gun out of his hand and grabbing him by the tie never missing a beat. Gibbs was about to shoot the lock and Chanel shouted "STOP!" He turned towards her weapon drawn and immediately dropped it back down.

"Gibbs, it would take a shotgun blast to get through that. Our friendly guard is going to open it, or I will start with breaking the bones in his fingers and go from there. Open it now!"

He opened the door without hesitation. Gibbs pushed through the doors. "Take us to the lab working on the plague. At a run buddy."

When they reached the lab, Chanel held a gun to the guard's head, while Gibbs held one at the scientist through the glass lab.

"Antidote for the plague. I need it now. A Federal Agent has been infected with a genetically altered strain of the plague, your strain."

"There is no antidote. I have only developed a vaccination, not an antidote. But it only has a contagion life of 32 hours. After that it is harmless. But if someone contracts it they have the same odds of survival as the previous plague."

"Which is?"

The scientist and Chanel both answered at the same time, "15 percent." Gibbs looked shocked and then looked like he was considering shooting someone.

"Jethro." Chanel used her softest sultriest voice to regain his attention. "Tony needs us, let's go baby."

Cassie took the woman back to NCIS, while Chanel and Gibbs drove back to Bethesda. "We're past the 32 hour mark Chanel. He might already be past the point of no return."

"He will not die Jethro. But he needs to hear that from you." He turned his head and looked at her, all the love and pain and struggle he felt showing through his eyes even though his face remained stoic.

She remained silent, parked the car and they rushed to the biological containment center. Gibbs and Chanel walked through the double doors without stopping and into the contamination area.

"Chanel, Agent Gibbs, you can't be here! You'll be infected."

"Infectious period is over, doctor." Gibbs leaned over an almost comatose Tony and whispered in his ear, saying definitively "You will not die, D'Nozzo." He very gently whacked him on the head, a token movement for sure, but Tony opened his eyes. "You will not die, D'Nozzo," and placed Tony's beloved cell phone in his hands. Tony rewarded him with a slight smile. He would not die, he would live for Chanel and he would live for Gibbs.

Chanel kissed Tony on the forehead which was still steaming with a fever. "Call me when your fever breaks, baby. God Speed."

* * *

Half an hour later Gibbs and Chanel pulled into the circular driveway at her house. It was late but lights were still on. They had both been up almost constantly for 40 hours and were dead on their feet. Gibbs went to let her out and leave to go to his home, but she refused.

"You are at least as tired as I am. You are staying here. We will feed you, get you showered and into some fresh clothes, and you will sleep. You can do all that in my room or you can have your own. But you are NOT driving. You will kill yourself or someone else." She took his arm and dragged him into the house. Her father was walking expectantly to the door and was delighted to see her and Gibbs walk through the door, although he had never seen either of them look so drawn and exhausted.

"You're ok? How is Tony?" He looked at Gibbs. "You must have gotten the bastard or you wouldn't be here, either of you."

"I am fine, we both are. Tony may still not make it, but when we just left him he seemed much better than when I was finally forced to leave. He is no longer contagious and we will be paying for a penthouse suite at Bethesda for him until he is well enough to come here and be cared for by very pretty private nurses. Just so you know daddy. And Gibbs did get the bitch that did this, although I have not heard the story and perhaps we can hear it together another day. Right now, could you ask Justine to fix us some soup and sandwiches and water I think. Neither of us has eaten or slept in about 40 hours. We'll go upstairs and shower, eat, and go to sleep. I'll get some pajamas from your room for him to wear, unless you can do that for me."

"Baby, Tony can have carte blanche. I will get Gibbs both some pajamas and some jeans and a shirt for tomorrow. No telling when you two will wake up after being up for so long. Sleep in. I'll be sure and let the director know you won't be in tomorrow. Go upstairs. I assume you will be sharing Chanel's room, but you will just be sleeping. Understood? You have already hurt her, and I am not prepared for her to be hurt more."

"Understood, sir."

Chanel took his arm and lightly pulled him up the stairs to her room. She pushed him to shower first because she would take so much longer. While Gibbs was showering her father dropped off the promised items, mentioned something about a certain Lt. Col. that was worried out of his mind and she needed to call him before she fell asleep. She nodded her understanding, hugged her father good night or good morning, she no longer knew which.

She placed the pajamas on the stool in the bathroom before Gibbs got out. She went to gather her own night clothes, and called Tommy knowing that Gibbs would probably hear at least part of the conversation.

"Chanel! Where are you? Are you ok? All anyone would tell us was that you were in isolation and could not have visitors. I've been so worried."

"Tommy, take a breath. I'm exhausted and have been up forever and a day. I am fine, perfectly healthy if hungry and a little dehydrated. I'm at home... about to take a shower and wash off isolation crap. I'm sweaty and tired and ready to go to bed. I think I will sleep for days."

"Can I come over?"

"And do what Tommy? I'm not really up for games or cards. I'm going to sleep. You cannot sleep with me, not even sleep sleep." She heard him laughing lightly on the other end.

He teased her back, but his tease had a little bite to it. "If not then, when baby?"

"I don't know when, or even if Tommy. I appreciate your patience with me. I'm sorry that I worried you, but I am glad you cared enough to be worried. I will call you tomorrow after I wake up, ok?"

"Ok, I'll be with the Joint Chiefs and strategic planning most of the day, so leave a message on my cell phone if I don't answer. And Chanel, is Gibbs with you?"

Chanel was silent. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because I love you and he does too. And he was with you this afternoon and is probably just as tired as you and is staying there at the house, possibly in your room with you. You would do the same for me. But it is just sleep, no sex. Am I right?"

"You know me very well. Good night Tommy. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Chanel reluctantly released the call. She smiled slightly at Gibbs. "How was your shower? Feel better?"

"Much. How is your Lt. Col.?"

"Being patiently kind, knows you are here and believes I would do the same for him in a similar situation."

"And would you?"

Chanel sighed and gathered her nightclothes and went into the bathing and dressing area. She took a very long shower, scrubbing and shaving her body until she felt clean again. She applied her beautiful lotion and matching perfume, combed out her hair, and dressed in her marine tank top and plaid flannel pajama pants. She left the room and reentered the main bedroom area where she saw two trays of food and several iced bottled waters. She also saw a dressed Gibbs under the covers with his arm over his eyes. He lifted it slightly and took in her simple beauty, no makeup, wet hair, very simple pajamas. She was perfect and he was an idiot.

"You are beautiful Chanel, a gift."

She smiled gently at him, "Come on Marine. Let's eat so we can sleep." She gently pulled him out of bed and held his hand as she led him to the soup. Justine had made her special tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches with a brownie for each of them. They ate in silence with so much that needed to be said but hadn't. She was waiting on him, and he was waiting on the nerve. They finished their meals and placed the trays outside her room. She gave him an unused toothbrush and they both brushed their teeth and headed for bed.

Gibbs laid down first and Chanel asked if she could snuggle against him. He welcomed her into his arms and they lay there in dark silence.

"Tony was right Chanel. Before that big party, I was happy, really happy for the first time in 15 years. I screwed things up between us, and I want to make it right. I love you. Did you mean what you said about a simple life? A big white house with a wraparound porch, with kids and dogs out in the country? No big parties, no big social engagements? Did you mean that? You would give up dances with the President and being known by everyone?"

Chanel lifted her head off his chest to look into his eyes. "You _were_ there. I couldn't believe you wouldn't come visit us, but figured you either weren't allowed to leave or you were chasing bad guys. Yes, Jethro. That is what I want. I clean up nice, really nice. And I have millions of dollars in jewelry and clothing to prove it. But that is not what I want. If I never went to another ball it would be too soon. After that actually quite small party with the Special Ops guys, you never asked if that was what I wanted or if I wanted that with you. You made an assumption that wasn't true. If I marry Tommy, which he is bound to start pushing for, as well as sex, my life would be much as it is today. Balls and parties, social engagements, 15 hour days for him, and I would do something, maybe stay at NCIS if you would have me, until I became pregnant."

"And if you were to stay with me? What do you see your life like?

"We would have to discuss it. I'd like that big white country house away from everything, with a wraparound porch, maybe a pool, kids and a couple dogs, not too big, not yippy. Once we started having kids, I'd want a nanny so I could write. We would need a cook, because I can't. We'd both be retired and take up our hobbies instead. You'd have a barn a little bit away from the house to build your boats. Which by the way, I am really pissed that you took some murdering, chain smoking floozy to your house to show her your boats, got physical with her and then ended up arresting her. You have never asked _me_ to your house, or shown _me_ your boats, and apparently you use the boats and hand tools as some big seduction thing, and now if I ever do get down there, it will just feel cheap to me."

"Wow. Where do you get all this information from? I'm sorry I haven't shown you my house or my boats. It is a very private thing for me. I don't make a big deal about it, but if someone comes over they find me in my basement. The front door is always open. As for the murdering, chain smoking floozy, yes, I made a bad choice. I made a choice based on everything you were not, except the great body part, you both had that." She hit him hard on the arm for that comment and then snuggled back down again. "Ow that hurt."

"Yeah well two things to that, you taking her out, intending to bed her and blowing me off, _that_ HURT, and if that little punch hurt, Old Man you should work out more."

He rolled her over onto her back tickling her mercilessly, "Old Man? Old Man? I cannot believe you just called me that." They were both laughing but very tired. "I heard you tell Tony that Tommy was like a younger version of me. If that is true, why not go for the younger version?"

"Oh Jethro, you don't get it. I will settle for Tommy if you can't get off your duff, and I won't wait much longer. Tommy won't wait much longer. He has waited almost three years to make love to me. But he wants me to love him like he loves me. Being married to him won't be the simple life I crave, but he loves me and we have shared some very powerful experiences I can share with very few others. He would make me happy and I will marry him when he asks. But did you hear the part about being with a man that makes my toes curl and my panties wet? THAT is what you do to me. You may be older, but you are the one I dream of at night, the one my heart breaks for, the one I want to be with. But if you don't choose soon, I will slide right out of your arms into someone else's."

Jethro sighed and pulled Chanel as close to him as he could. He very gently, almost as if to a child, said "I love you. Sweet dreams." And they drifted off together, exhaustion overtaking them. Nothing was resolved, but so much finally said.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Chapter 9**

* * *

A/N: I think that the language to this point has been pristine for my writing. There are about 4-5 "bad" words in this chapter, so be warned. With one exception, nothing you would not hear on basic cable.

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 9

Four weeks later, Tony had returned to work feeling good, and had started dating one of his very pretty nurses Chanel had hired to care for him while he recovered from the plague. Jethro and Chanel went to lunch alone at least once a week, more if it worked out. They also went out several times a week in the evening, and spent all day together on Sunday. They often worked on the boat, but that usually ended in some serious make out sessions. Gibbs was definitely not making as much progress on his boat as usual, not that he minded terribly. He also started working out more often and drinking much less. If Chanel thought him as 'Old Man' and soft where she had hit him earlier, he was going to get in some serious shape. Unconsciously, things had turned into a race against her Lt. Col. as to who was going to both bed her and get her to agree to marry them first. Unfortunately for Chanel, Tommy saw things the same way, which made life a very challenging balancing act.

Gibbs got a call in MTAC from a former protégé. He was an Agent Afloat onboard an aircraft carrier. There was some sort of doping scandal which led to a dead petty officer and he needed help from Gibbs and his team. Gibbs agreed and everyone packed their gear and extra clothes and toothbrushes. Chanel was immediately irritated, even pissed that they were taking on this assignment. She mumbled under her breath as she crammed stuff she would need in a bag. Gibbs looked at her with his eyebrows raised. "Problem Chanel?"

"I take it we'll be taking a helo to the ship?"

"Probably. Or a transport plane. Why?"

Tony piped up to tease her, "Does our wunderkind Chanel get air sick or sea sick?"

"Shut up Tony. I have spent over 30 hours in a single flight on one of those shitty planes. And there have been many more than a single flight. I swore when I returned to the states I would NEVER get on one again. Christ Gibbs, can't your Agent Afloat protégé handle a simple petty officer death by dope. Why do so many petty officers die anyway? The odds of death of a petty officer must be one in ten. Fuck!" She was clearly panicking at the thought of getting back on one of those aircraft.

"Chanel! If I didn't think we needed to go we wouldn't, but you don't get to stay behind just because you hate to fly in these choppers or transport planes."

"I have done my time in them Gibbs. I have done everyone in this room's time in those shitty things." Gibbs and Chanel stared off, and finally she shook her head, stuffed the last of her things in her duffel and headed for the elevator to wait on everyone else. Tony was right behind her with Gibbs and Tim following. She slammed her hand against the button to call for the elevator, but remained silent. When they exited the elevator and headed for the car, she finally spoke but only to Gibbs, although the others heard as well. "I hate you for making me do this."

Gibbs smiled slightly at her, putting both their duffels in the trunk. "I know baby, I know."

* * *

Chanel didn't speak the rest of the trip. She was clearly a pro at the whole flight-with-nothing-on-board sort of thing. Tony would try to engage her and she just shot him down with a look. They finally got off the helo and went inside the ship. She took her helmet off shaking out her gorgeous red hair. She had intentionally not tied it back or up and left it down. Needless to say it was just as distracting as she had hoped it would be. The alleged protégé came over as they moved themselves and their gear out of the doorway. He introduced himself as David, greeted Gibbs warmly as he did everyone on the team. There was some small chitchat, which Chanel didn't participate in. Gibbs, sensing Chanel's increasing frustration, asked to be taken to the NCIS room and also shown to their quarters. David started to lead the way, Tony pointing out to Chanel how to navigate around an aircraft carrier.

"Tony, thank you. But I have been on a few before." She gentled her grouchy response with a stroke on his arm and he immediately relaxed.

Once they reached the NCIS office, David began to outline the problem they were having. Someone on the flight deck was giving amphetamines to the flight deck crew, and one had just died from an overdose. But the urine tests always tested negative.

Chanel spoke up finally, "David, why do you need us here? Gibbs seems to think it necessary, so I am sure it is. He would not have tortured me with that flight otherwise. I just need to understand why we are here."

David responded to her in a very condescending voice, "That was probably your first helo flight. Sorry they aren't very comfortable. I know, I have ridden in a few. I need you here…" Gibbs cut him off there.

"David, you don't know Chanel obviously, but you might recognize her father, General Atherton? The woman you just talked down to, Chanel Atherton, in top secret classified service to her country has flown in countless helo flights and transport planes and been on several aircraft carriers, more than the others of us combined. She can kill from more than 3000 yards, use any and every weapon and can kill all of us in this room with her bare hands. And she most definitely did not want to come here today. She is pissed enough at me that she could spit nails, but is unlikely to kill me. You on the other hand would be a no brainer. You will answer her question respectfully and succinctly. Because if you talked me into dragging my team out here for something you should have been able to solve on your own, it will be me she crushes, but only after I get through with you."

After that speech, there was a knock on the door and the Captain and XO entered, both men eager to meet Chanel. They knew exactly who she was and while what she had done was fuzzy, rumors had some sniffle of truth in them. They graciously shook her hand and welcomed her enthusiastically on board. The Captain even offered her his quarters for their stay.

"Captain! That is very generous sir. Really, very unexpected. I would be fine staying with the rest of my team sir."

"Ms. Atherton, or rather Agent Atherton, your team will be bunking with the other officers in the few available slots we have. There are no other women on board, m'am. Usually there is, but this ship currently has none, which means no female quarters or restrooms. So, I must insist that you take my quarters. I've had them cleaned and the sheets changed for you already. I would be honored to have such a legend as you share my quarters." The Captain's eyes suddenly got very big and his face got very red.

Chanel smiled gracefully at him, ignoring his faux pas and giving Tony a glare for his quickly stifled snicker. "Thank you Captain. I appreciate your effort on behalf of my comfort. Did we meet at the Navy Ball a few years ago? Yes. Good, nice to see you again. And don't believe in legends too much. Buddha gives us good advice when he admonishes us to not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. You know how ripe the military is for rumor. I am simply a member of this team who arrived very unhappy about our mode of travel. I have, as I'm sure you can imagine Captain, grown to despise those transport vessels. But your care for my well being has certainly made me feel better about being here. I'll be sure my father knows the concern you have shown, Captain." She turned to David with a slight withering glare and "suggested" that perhaps before he starts his debriefing, they could all be shown to their quarters and have a short break from their flight before getting started.

Gibbs spoke up in quick agreement, sensing the need to get David and Chanel out of the same room. The Captain must have sensed it too, because he was soon asking the XO to show the gentleman to their bunks, the head and showers, while he escorted Agent Atherton to her temporary quarters. The men walked off hearing her voice asking the Captain to please call her Chanel. Chanel was quite pleased with her sleeping situation. There was a twin bed, why would the Captain need more? A private bath and shower and a locking door, which he made a point to ask her to use.

"We have been at sea a long time. You are the only woman on a ship with more than 6000 men. I know, even without the help of rumors, you can take care of yourself, but for the safety of my crew as well as you, please keep the door locked, your gun under your pillow, and travel only with at least one member of your team, my XO, or myself. I cannot guarantee your safety otherwise. Given what you are rumored to have done and the people you are rumored to have traveled with, I know you don't scare easily, but please keep as low a profile as you can and stay close to Gibbs."

"Message received loud and clear Captain. I will stay put, avail myself of the facilities, and perhaps you could give the same message to Gibbs, as well as Tony? We are very close and Gibbs especially will want to stay close to me. I will wait for one of them to retrieve me before leaving. Thank you again Captain."

"Good. I'll catch up with them. Perhaps you and your team could join me, my XO, and a few others for dinner in the officers' mess?"

"That sounds wonderful to me. But you would have to ask Agent Gibbs."

"Very good, I will leave you for now. Hopefully we will see you at dinner. Lock the door."

"Yes, sir!"

The team did finally get their briefing from David. Chanel remained silent, but she could see gaping holes in his investigation so far. She left Tony and Gibbs to point those out. She and Tony were given a few investigatory things to follow up on and they left to take care of that. Gibbs had taken seriously the Captain's concerns about Chanel's safety, or rather the safety of anyone approaching her. And Gibbs had agreed to dinner in the officers' mess because he knew it would please Chanel, and right now it was in his best interest to please Chanel.

Over the course of one day, but two nights, they solved the oh-so-very-troubling problem of the dead petty officer, the amphetamines, and the urine switch. Tony virtually never left her side and they had turned it into something silly like a Scooby-Doo movie, Mr. Hyde in a mask on the flight deck. David was clearly not on top of his game, and Chanel's ongoing silence towards him communicated the high volume of her disdain.

They were finally ready to leave, and Chanel graciously thanked the Captain for his hospitality, allowing her the use of his room, and the delicious meals they had enjoyed. He thanked her for her low keyed approach on the ship and minimizing her inevitable impact on the crew. She smiled and winked at him, put her helmet on and went to board the helo. David stopped her at the noisiest point, apologizing for not knowing who she was.

"David, do you really think I care if you knew who I was or not? Who do you think I am?"

"The General's daughter, Joint Chief of Staff. Who else would you be?"

"David, I am a lot of things, rumors and legends collide. My problem with you is you are just incompetent. I would think someone who had trained under Gibbs could have solved this quickly and easily as it ended up being done. It was like you didn't even try. And because of your incompetence I had to fly out here on some flying gas can. So, who I am doesn't matter a whit. Your capability to do this job does, and if it were up to me, you'd be toast. Good bye David."

She looked grumpily at the Captain who had heard every word. He had noticed the tension between the two and was interested in finding out what it was about. She teasingly saluted the Captain, put her helmet back on and headed towards the waiting chopper for their little "chop hop."

She sat next to Gibbs. He looked at her questioningly about what David wanted when he held her back.

She looked at him irritated. "I basically told him he was an idiot." Gibbs just laughed and leaned back holding her hand. She leaned against his shoulder and promptly fell asleep, just like the pro she was. He leaned his head against hers, wishing he could smell her shampoo but the helmet got in the way. Tonight, they would spend the night together. He knew he was running out of time. He knew she was still holding her Lt. Col. off and that he did not share her bed, even for sleeping. But he did not have much longer, and the Lt. Col. might not be so willing to just sleep with her and seduce her right away from him.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Chapter 10**

* * *

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 10

The night they returned from the aircraft carrier, Gibbs asked Chanel if she would spend the entire upcoming weekend with him. He wanted an extended weekend and had already requested the time off. They would leave Thursday after work and return back to work on Weds. He wanted to take her somewhere, but he wouldn't say where.

"You are such a control freak, Gibbs. You haven't left much room for a "no" answer. Can you at least tell me what I should bring?"

"You can say no, but I hope you don't."

"I'm definitely not saying no, unless you plan on me flying on one of those flying gas cans. Next time it comes up, you'll have to fire me before I get on one."

"I'll keep that in mind. So do you want to know what to bring?"

"Yes, already. You are just going to drag this out aren't you? I never figured you for the romantic type, Jethro." She had climbed into his lap with her legs straddling him, kissing his face and his eyes, his nose, and finally working her way to his lips. Her soft lips reached his, the expected spark shooting through them both. Their mouths opened together like it had been choreographed, their tongues softly touching but their pent up passion that was still to be released increased their urgency. Their mutual excitement superheated their bodies, especially where their centers were pressed together. Chanel was impatient already grinding her body into his moving in a slight circular motion. She had on a dress from their night out earlier and she had lifted it so her panties were pressed right against his tented pants. Their kiss never broke but Gibbs groaned into her mouth as he could feel her wetness and heat through his pants. He finally pulled back from the kiss and gently moved her back from him.

"No, Chanel. I just spent a fortune for the perfect vacation, the perfect spot for everything you want. I do not want to lose control this close to the goal, baby. Please. The first thing we do when we get to our surprise is make love in the giant four poster bed. And we will over and over and over again. We have both waited so long one more day won't hurt us."

Chanel playfully growled at him and remained where he put her and did not push anymore. "So, we keep getting distracted. If you won't tell me where, can you tell me what I should bring?"

"Yes, that I can do. You will definitely need a bathing suit or four, one of those wrap scarf things you wear around your bathing suit, bikini, whatever you have. You'll need some very lightweight dresses for evening candlelight dinners. If you don't have any, we can just buy some there. Think tropical, shorts, sandals, toothbrush, and your passport. That's about it, Chanel."

Chanel had a big smile on her face, "Sounds like I might need sunscreen too. I assume you will take care of my back, or do they have those cute young men to take over that chore?"

"That is definitely my job. The only thing any cute young men might do is bring us drinks and food."

She giggled and leaned over to whisper in his ear while her hands caressed his very well developed arms. He'd been working out and she could tell. "So, Old Man, seems like you've been working out. I like it. Don't forget your blue pills."

Gibbs laughed and tossed her back on the couch. "This 'Old Man' doesn't need any blue pills."

"You've not been with me. Once I get going I tend to be voracious. Can you keep up?"

"I will give you whatever you need, baby." She laughed and wiggled away from him heading up the stairs to the bedroom.

"I'm going to get some sleep. And by the way Boss? I'll be in very late tomorrow. I have to go shopping for my surprise trip. I might not be in at all. What time do we leave? Hmm. Yeah, you know I think I just won't be in at all."

He laughed at her and went down to his basement while she showered and went to bed. They found it was difficult to go to bed at the same time because it had become increasingly difficult to keep things from heating up further than they wanted. They wanted, but there was an unspoken agreement that they weren't going that far without a commitment, and that was what she would get this weekend. He had bought the ring and made the reservations a few weeks before. He knew she would love the place, but wasn't sure about the ring. It was very simple platinum band centered with a large emerald cut diamond. There was no adornment on either side of the ring, but the diamond itself was the very best quality and was really very large. Not so much as to be ostentatious, but definitely nothing to be embarrassed about. It was from the Hearts on Fire collection and in very tiny letters on the back of the diamond itself was inscribed "I love you." It was also numbered for security purposes. She would only be able to read the lettering with a microscope, but if she wanted to see it, Abby's lab had one. She was used to having amazing jewelry. He hoped that while this wasn't amazing, it was simple and stunning.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Chapter 11**

* * *

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 11

The excited couple followed the busboy into their rented villa on the beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The suite was located directly on the beach on the ground floor, with an extended patio overlooking the beach and ocean. The room was extraordinarily large with mahogany furniture and sliding double doors separating the living room from the bedroom, which as promised had a king size four-poster bed. The bedding was a beautiful white with splashes of red added with pillows. There was a lightweight canopy that stretched the length of the bed. The white with slight touches of red against the dark mahogany was stunning.

Chanel turned to Gibbs with a look of awe on her face. "Jethro, this might be the most beautiful room I have ever been in. We are right on the beach. It looks completely private, and there is a small pool too. This takes my breath away. It is too much, baby. How in the world…?" She didn't want to ask him outright, but this had to be extraordinarily expensive.

"I'm glad you like it. It is all for you and you deserve every bit of it and more. And as for how I can afford it, I have more money than many people think. I encourage the misconception. I am not wealthy as you, but I can hold my own. Dinner will be here shortly. I took the liberty of ordering for you. They will bring a candlelit dinner here for us with champagne, and we will have a private affair. I thought we might dress for it."

"It is like you have been body snatched Jethro. This is far more romantic than I ever dreamed you could be. But I didn't bring anything but tropical dresses, nothing suitable for a candlelit dinner."

"I think you brought something appropriate." Jethro took her in his arms and kissed her lightly, melting her completely with such a gentle touch. When he broke the kiss, she looked up at him with understanding. Yes, she had indeed brought something appropriate.

They unpacked shortly and Jethro showered and dressed first and waited for the food to arrive. Chanel enjoyed her shower as well, her excitement shining in her eyes and causing a glow on her skin. She dressed carefully, piling her hair on top of her head leaving her neck and back bare. Her "appropriate attire" was a silk cream colored full length negligee. It had a double spaghetti strap, heart shaped neckline with a lace bodice and it was backless to the lowest dip on her back. She looked stunning in it and had been saving it for quite a while for just such an occasion. She waited until the waiter left before walking through the mahogany sliding door into the living area. Jethro had candles burning around the room and music playing softly. He heard the door slide open and turned to face her from where he stood looking at the moonlight on the ocean. He stayed where he was and allowed Chanel to walk to him. Looking at her, he knew he could never live without her, his breath was knocked away by both the realization and her striking beauty. She stood immediately in front of him, dressed in designer slacks she never knew he owned and a raw silk shirt that was a deep blue that served to deepen the aqua of his eyes. He looked remarkable. She ran her hands up from his wrists to his shoulders, feeling the strength and the power under the skin. Her hands reached his face and brought him down to kiss him. She kissed him softly with an open mouth, wanting to just feel his touch. His arms reached around her and pulled her to him, crushing her to him while their passion started to ignite in the mouths leading straight to their individual centers. They stood there absorbing each other, lost in the touch of the other. Finally, uncomfortably hard and overwhelmingly impatient Jethro broke from Chanel and carefully led her to the sofa. He helped her sit, and instead of sitting beside her, he sat at her knees. Chanel looked at him both confused and excited.

"I have never been more certain of what I want than I do right this moment. Before we both combust, I want to do this now and not wait any longer. Chanel Atherton, will you marry me? I promise to love and cherish you until the end of my days. There will be no other."

Chanel started to cry. Even though she was sure it was coming, she never expected such romance and such passion from Jethro Gibbs. She didn't know why she had doubted it. He had never shown her anything but passion from him, but never romance. That was a surprise. And then there was another surprise as he pulled out the ring and opened the box to show her. She gasped at the beauty and simplicity of the ring, it was exactly Jethro and it was exactly her.

"Yes, Jethro Gibbs, my love, I will marry you without doubt and with all my love. The ring is beautiful. It is perfect."

He laughed slightly as he put the ring on her finger. He was happier and without shadows than he had been in a very long time.

The newly engage couple disappeared through the sliding door and finally completed what they had been holding themselves from. Twice. Dinner was then enjoyed naked and in bed. They made love throughout the night, thrilling at the experience so longed for and so long denied. Their laughter and happiness could be heard drifting on the waves of the ocean right outside their door.

* * *

**Chapter 12: Chapter 12**

* * *

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 12

The very tanned, relaxed and newly engaged couple strolled in together on Wednesday morning, respective coffees in hand. Things had been quiet up until then. Having only two people on the team, mostly paperwork and easy stuff came their way for a few days. Now, having the entire team together calls would start coming hard and fast. Chanel had on her ring, but both decided not to make any kind of announcement. Gibbs laughed at the idea of saying anything to the team saying "They are investigators, let them investigate. If gossip and rumor will follow, so be it, but we will remain professional as always." And so it went. Chanel gave Tony and Tim brief hugs as she waited for her computer to boot. Put her gun away and settled into her desk. It wasn't until Abby came upstairs knowing they had returned that any note was made of Chanel's new piece of jewelry. Abby shrieked when she saw the ring, holding Chanel's hand out to see the ring better.

"Oh my God, it's huge Chanel. Very sweet, Gibbs! Stunning and gorgeous at the same time. It reflects both of your personalities, stylish and beautiful, simple and clean. It is about time too. I was getting tired of the waiting."

"Yeah Abbs, that's what General Atherton said too."

"When did you talk to my dad? I told him last night while you were working on your boat."

"Yeah, I know Chanel. You told Tommy too. That didn't go so well. But before I asked you I asked your father for his blessing. If he did not approve, he could make things difficult."

"Well, he sounded like he was very pleased."

"He seemed to be, and was very encouraging and supportive and was glad I had finally come to my senses. And it seemed to make him happy that I considered his opinion."

"Of course it would." Chanel said with a smirk.

Their first call out was provided by a secretary from the Pentagon. Chanel's phone rang informing her of the woman in the lobby who was asking for NCIS. Their afternoon was spent tracking money, figuring out how to get into the officer's computer, and rescuing his little girl who had been left alone and blind in the train station. She was smart and waited for Tony and Chanel to pick her up. Chanel took an instant liking to the little girl who was amazing at playing the piano and was able to hear sounds on the recordings they had to help pinpoint where her mother was being held. Abby and McGee had stayed up all night tracing the money transfers until they tracked it back to Washington DC. The officer whose family had been kidnapped and violated was behind the entire scheme. Gibbs erupted into a violent rage when the man started to explain. It just brought up too many memories of what he had lost years ago. Tony and McGee handcuffed the man and took him away, while Chanel calmed Gibbs with a slow walk around the promenade and he talked about the loss of his family fifteen years before. He was still greatly disturbed by it, but remembered more of the happy memories and less of the sad ones. They eventually returned to NCIS, completed paperwork and everyone went home. It was Friday night and they had the weekend off again.

That Sunday Gibbs called everyone in from the General's house. They were staying there over the weekend. There were wedding plans to make. Instead, mid day on Sunday they were called in to investigate the deaths of two of their own, Paula Cassidy's team. It was painful for everyone, and Paula who Chanel had never met vented a lot of her frustration on her. Chanel helped a lot on the interviews that were required, since some of the interviewees did not speak very good English. Chanel spoke fluent Arabic and had spent years in the Middle East which only infuriated Paula further. Chanel took it in stride. Chanel also received an anxious phone call from Tommy desperate to make sure she was not one of the killed agents. Paula over heard the conversation, and as soon as she realized she was being eavesdropped on she began speaking Arabic to protect her privacy. Tommy was having a difficult time letting go, and having to reassure him of her well being while Cassidy's own team was decimated had to be painful for her to overhear. Ultimately, the whole incident ended sadly with Paula throwing herself on top of a bomb to protect the dignitaries and Gibbs' team that were assigned protection duty. Tony seemed to take it the hardest, especially when he learned it was supposed to be Gibbs' team that was on that weekend. It could have been them that were dead. Gibbs never acknowledged it, even to Chanel, but it had taken a toll on him. He constantly wondered what he would have done differently, would his gut have saved them once again? Tony and Chanel would have been the agents sent in, if he had done the same things Paula had done, and now they would be dead. He was getting soft and scared now that he was in love.

A few weeks later, he was still quietly obsessing about Chanel's safety and his own omnipotence. He doubted his gut now that he was so desperately in love, and someone could get hurt. The idea that it might be time to finally retire began to emerge as a constant theme, although he kept it to himself. Chanel, bless her, occasionally would ask but did not push him, knowing he would talk to her when he was ready. She never doubted his love for her, and did not believe he was contemplating 2nd thoughts about their upcoming marriage. They walked into work together and followed their usual morning routine. Gibbs went upstairs for a meeting with the director. Chanel got a call from Abby.

"Chanel, look, I need you to do me a favor. Please." Abby's voice was rushed and strained.

"Abby, slow down and breathe. Of course I'll help. What do you need?"

"Ducky needs the evidence box in autopsy right away but remember how I can't go into autopsy since my nightmare, my bête noire as you call it? Anyway, I need you to come down here and then go up to autopsy and give Ducky the box." Abby said everything in a single breath. It was exhausting to even listen to.

"Why does Ducky need the evidence box?" Chanel's suspicions were raised.

"I don't know when he called to have me deliver it I just freaked out and didn't understand but can you take it for me, please?" Chanel was irritated at the fast panic talk from Abby and that something did not feel right.

"Ok, Abby. I'm on my way. Please breathe for me, slowly!" Chanel slowly stood up, concern all over her face. Tony asked her curiously what was wrong.

"Abby wants me to take an evidence box to autopsy for Ducky, but she doesn't know why he needs it. It just seems weird. Anyway, just let Gibbs know if I'm not back when he returns."

Chanel picked up the box and took it to a darkened autopsy room where only a few lights were on, and it was flashing about infectious diseases. Ducky just asked her to leave it at the door, called her Abby when he thanked her as she walked away. She turned and smiled at him, only to find a different but still familiar face staring at her.

The dress she had on did not have a place for a gun unless she wore shoulder holsters, which were upstairs. She had knife sheaths on her arms, but knew he would find those. She would have to use what she had available in the room. He opened the door, and pulled her inside. She did not resist. He might kill Ducky or Palmer even, hell sometimes she thought she might kill Palmer, but she was willing to bet that whatever he was here for, he would not kill her. He might take her with him, but not kill her.

He held a gun on her, and very sensuously proceeded to pat her down for weapons. He knew she would have some, and he was indeed rewarded with the knives under the long sleeves of her silk dress.

"Chanel, I never expected, hoped but never expected to see you again. What a pleasant twist of fate to have brought you here to me." The dark man's voice was soft and oozed with sex and sin. She felt chills hearing it again after all this time. At one point of her life, she would have welcomed the intimacy his voice provided.

"I am not here for you Ari." She nodded to the evidence box. "Get what you came for and leave before anyone gets hurt."

"I have so missed the sound of your voice. It is so sultry and sensuous. No one else ever sounds like you. I could listen to you talk all day. Your body is riper than I remember, but that only makes you more luscious. But what is this, an engagement ring? Someone actually managed to capture your heart. I always imagined it was permanently locked away some place. I know I never had it."

"You sound bitter Ari. Please get what you want and go." Her voice had a hint of pleading to it.

Ari walked carefully over to the evidence box, knowing that he was no longer the only very deadly person in the room. He dug around until he found the chilled vial of blood and samples taken from Hussein's body. But there was still something he couldn't find.

"Where is the rest?"

Chanel looked at him with honest confusion. "What rest? That is the evidence collected."

He came up to her carefully, stalking her like a prey. "Where are the things collected from his apartment? The medicines and stuff."

Chanel blinked her eyes at his, thinking, "If it isn't in there, it would be in the evidence locker. I can go get it. It would have to be checked out by a senior agent. The evidence locker is off site. It could take some time." She was thinking on her feet very quickly and could only hope Ari had not been deeply thorough in his plan. She could lie with no problem. She had been trained for it. But if she had said something and he knew better, it could get very bad fast.

Ari was beginning to get agitated now. Things were not going along with his plan, and even more people would have to get involved. And he sure had not planned on finding Chanel here. He would be unable to leave her behind. Chanel read his body language easily, after all she knew him quite well.

"Chanel, get on the speaker phone. Call a senior agent and tell them they have ½ an hour to get the rest of the evidence from Hussein's apartment to me here in autopsy. If they miss the timeline the poor doctors over there will pay for it."

Chanel looked at Ducky and Palmer. Ducky was pissed off and Palmer was about to wet his pants. Chanel had already taken the scalpel and positioned it up her sleeve. She managed that while he was going through the contents. If he found it, there was always her hair clip assuming he didn't remove it.

Chanel calmed her voice and quietly called Gibbs' internal line. "Hey Gibbs. Listen I need you to have Tony bring me the evidence box for the Hussein case from the offsite evidence locker. Someone is here who needs something from it. He gives you ½ an hour and then he says he will start to hurt Ducky and Palmer. I know this man from my past, and he will do what he says Gibbs. I have to go now. ½ an hour Gibbs." Chanel disconnected the oddest conversation she had ever had with her fiancé. Of course, Ari could not know Gibbs and her were engaged.

"So now we wait, Ari. Do you want to talk? Can you tell me what you are doing? You have become a terrorist? Hussein? That is an Arabic name. Are you working with Hammas after your mother's death? That Israeli bomb attack was truly tragic, more so with the loss of your mother."

Once again he stalked his prey. Every move with him was sexual. She had never known anyone as dangerous or as sexual, all rolled into the same delicious package. She let herself be mesmerized by him. She could do that, because her love for Gibbs kept her grounded in the danger and reality of the situation.

"I would hear you talk, Chanel. Thank you for your condolences on my mother's death. My father conveniently arranged it all. I am becoming the monster he already is. I am Moussad, imbedded in a cell of Hammas. We attempted to spread small pox across the navy base. Hussein was supposed to get sick and, by working in a restaurant on base, transfer the disease. The plan obviously failed, but now I have to clean it up."

"If you were Moussad, you would have found a way to warn your allies of the plot to decimate our forces."

"Let us say I have mixed loyalties."

"Yes, I would agree. And what is your plan now? You always have a plan. I think a few bricks have been thrown into this plan. You will take the body, the blood and tissue samples, and whatever you need from his apt. and just leave?"

"I would take you with me."

"Why?"

"I have never forgotten you. No woman can compare. And here you practically fall into my lap. That is too good to be true."

"I see Ari." She began to stalk him, sidling up directly in front of him, close enough to touch if one of them gave a deep breath. "So you would take me with you, to live with you and your Hammas friends? That would be cozy. They treat their women so well. You would have me live in a hovel in Palestine, the only woman among several men who would hate me and lust for me at the same time? You would have to fight constantly to protect me. And you know how dangerous I can be. Perhaps I just end up killing your whole cell. Where would that get you with Hammas?"

She was running out of time. She took a step forward, pressing her body against his. She raised her head and sultry emerald green eyes to his, capturing his entire attention. She could feel him harden instantly, pressed against her. "Is that how you want a life with me Ari?" Her hands reached around his neck and pulled him towards her lips. She could feel the gun in his hand pressed hard against her back where he had wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer. He bent his head meaning to kiss her. Their lips met and their chemistry remembered the other's body, how it felt to kiss, to touch, to hold each other. Their bodies both instantly remembered how it felt to be joined together.

He moaned into her mouth at his memory of her. He pulled away from her briefly, looking her in the eyes, communicating clearly that he knew what she was going to do and he welcomed it. "If I am to be a man like my father, then it is a blessing to be taken by a lover before I can become completely evil." He kept eye contact with her and then joined once again his mouth to her, his tongue with hers, his passion with what she remembered her passion with him to be. He could taste the salty tears of regret as they fell down her face and landed on her lips. She cautiously removed the scalpel from her sleeve, kissing him even more fervently for both distraction as well as regret. He moaned again and she sliced his throat with the scalpel, hitting the carotid artery blindly and yet with complete accuracy. He fell backwards, pulling his gun towards her. She was sure he would not shoot her, but could also not afford to be wrong. She twisted the gun from his hand just as HRT entered the room. She fired directly into his forehead, leaving a tiny hole in front and a large one in back. She was also screaming out "CLEAR! CLEAR! Agent inside is armed. DO NOT SHOOT! HOLD YOUR FIRE!"

Ducky turned the lights on and while everyone's eyes adjusted she watched for Gibbs who came tearing over to her side. They both looked down at the body of Ari Haswari. He was obviously dead, but a very pale Ducky came over to check for a pulse. The HRT team as well as Gibbs' team, Ducky, and Palmer all stared at her in something akin to shock and awe at what she had been able to accomplish singlehandedly and using weapons she found in the room.

She just coldly stared back at them all, she unloaded Ari's gun and handed it to Gibbs, laid the scalpel on the autopsy table and walked out of the room.

* * *

Gibbs put Tony in charge while he went to find Chanel. She had been covered in blood, so she had no doubt headed for the showers. He picked up some NCIS sweats for her. She was sobbing in the shower. He climbed in fully dressed and sat next to her holding her while she cried. After a while the sobbing turned into tears, which finally became silent. He helped her up and handed her the sweats and went to get another pair for himself. When he walked back in she was brushing her teeth aggressively trying to remove the taste of her former lover from her mouth. Fortunately, he never tried anything else. He wouldn't have. She had never known him to strike a woman and he certainly would not have taken her by force in autopsy, but she would not have ruled out the eventuality of it. Tony came to the door, seeing Gibbs silently staring at a very quiet and very pained Chanel. Chanel never moved her eyes from those staring back at her but Gibbs reluctantly turned to Tony.

"Sorry Boss. Fornell is in the Director's office waiting to interview Chanel. He has already talked to everyone else. And no, I already asked if it could wait and was told quite clearly it could not."

Before Gibbs could answer, Chanel stepped up and in a completely dead voice she said, "Thank you Tony. I will speak with them and then I will speak with the rest of the team and I will never speak of it again. Can you arrange all of that and see that my father understands as well? He will need to know I am safe of course, but he will not get a play by play, so if he wants one, he needs to hear it here. Jethro, if you will accompany me? I would like for you to stay with me. If they refuse, they can arrest me. I will not talk to them if you cannot be there."

"Let's go. Tony? Any questions? See you in a bit." Gibbs comfortably held Chanel's hand as they left the dressing room. She was a strong woman and at least at this point would not welcome his overt support. A hand held, a slight smile, eyes watching to anticipate her needs, those were the support he would give her.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Chapter 13**

* * *

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 13

Chanel and Gibbs walked into the director's office holding hands. Her eyes were cold as ice.

"I understand you wanted to see me? Tobias, you want to take my statement, and Mr. Director sir, you want to hear it. Correct?"

The director responded first, and very sympathetically as well. "Chanel. There was a terrorist attack in our own building, and you single handedly resolved it. Fornell is here to take your statement and put it together with the rest. No one plans on accusing you of anything. From what we can see you have done nothing wrong."

Tobias spoke up. "Gibbs this is her interrogation or interview, whatever you want to call it, you are in a personal relationship with her so you cannot stay."

Gibbs quietly but firmly responded, "Tobias, I am staying."

Chanel spoke up, again with a voice of ice. The room was getting positively frigid. "Tobias, if you consider this to be an interrogation, then I invoke my rights to legal counsel, and you won't get a word out of me. If this is simply an interview I will cooperate. But if you have any inkling in that tiny brain of yours that this is anything more, you are legally bound to tell me. I will invoke, and my attorneys will drown you in paper until you die and you will never get a report from me. What's it going to be? And the only way I talk is if Gibbs stays with me. If he goes I go, and if you feel the need to arrest me, you go ahead and do that. I'm sure the President will appreciate that late night phone call Tobias." He paled at the thought and decided to step back.

"I misspoke when I used the word interrogation. Given the information we have gathered so far, along with the evidence, I see no reason to believe that anything will come to light other than you killed a terrorist this evening. And of course Gibbs can stay."

"One other thing Tobias, this is the only statement you will get. There will be no meeting at the FBI office to go over this again. Take good notes or tape it. After tonight, it gets bundled into my top secret file and I will not discuss it again."

"I'm not prepared for that Chanel."

"I'll give you five minutes to find a pad and paper then Tobias. I'm sure Tony is still here and can help you find one. After that, I will write out my statement and it will stand with no questions." Tobias gawked while Gibbs smirked. "Well? What are you waiting for Tobias? Clock is ticking."

Tobias raced out of the room, while the director and Gibbs snickered. "Do you lead all men around by their balls or just ones you don't like?"

"I only do it when I'm pissed. Director, sir, do you think I could have a glass, maybe two fingers of scotch? I feel a need for some special sustenance." Both Gibbs and Chanel were handed drinks, Tobias returned, and the interview began. She told them her thoughts where appropriate and all of her actions. When the discussion of Ari began she took a deep breath and completely without emotion and without shame or doubt told the whole story.

All three men were stunned as she concluded her story. It was clear from Tobias' face there would be no further questions or actions taken.

Chanel looked at the Director and Fornell. "Is there anything else gentlemen? I have a team and a father to debrief and then I am going home to bed." She stood quietly, nodded to the Director, ignored Tobias and walked out the door. Gibbs stayed behind for a few minutes and then walked Fornell to the elevator.

"You are going to marry her? I think you must be the luckiest man in the world and one of the bravest. To live with a woman who can crack balls like she did up there, that would scare me. But God, she is beautiful. No wonder Ari would rather have died at her hands then those of his enemies. I just don't know who his enemies are, and if they are ours also. Seems to be, but it is convoluted. Good night Jethro. Take care of her."

Chanel was eating some of the pizza that Tony had thoughtfully ordered. The General supplied his own version of morale boosting that many were partaking in. The team started reassembling when they saw Chanel leaving the Director's office. For the most part everyone was quiet and waiting patiently for Chanel to speak, but Abby's sense of guilt and her overly caffeinated brain made her practically hysterical. Chanel finally snapped at her to be quiet and she would tell everyone at one time, but her nerves were shot right now, and Abby needed to take the noise level to zero or she would not be allowed to stay.

Chanel repeated the story again, leaving nothing out, Ducky and Palmer inserting their take on things. To say they gushed over the way Chanel had handled things was an understatement. Chanel was sitting on the floor at Gibbs' feet with her knees pulled up arms wrapped around her. She looked very fragile and tired, and while she was tired she was definitely not fragile. She shared her final words to the whole team because she knew she would hear it again and again.

"I know everyone just wants this day to be over, me maybe most of all. But I do want to say a couple of things. I want to thank you for all the things that went on behind the scenes so to speak. I don't know what all everyone was doing, but I'm sure no one was wringing their hands in vain. The second thing I want to say, and this goes for everyone including you Jethro. If anyone else other than me had gone into that room someone other than Ari would have died. So please, no guilt about not being the person to take the evidence box down to autopsy. While I suffer a personal tragedy, this was the best possible ending for everyone. And a day when we all go home is the best. Good night, everyone." Chanel gracefully stood up, got her things, and she and Gibbs followed the General to the Mercedes limousine and the driver that would take them home.

* * *

**Chapter 14: Chapter 14**

* * *

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 14

The General, Gibbs, and Chanel walked in through the huge doors of 'The Big House' as Chanel and Gibbs had started calling it. The General knew she was emotionally exhausted at least but still had a few things he needed to say so motioned them both to the main living area where he sat in his big leather library chair and Gibbs sat on the huge matching sofa and Chanel laid her head on his lap.

"Ok, Daddy. Say whatever you need to."

"I know you are tired and today was difficult. I can only imagine how difficult it is to kill a loved one, even one buried in the past. I only have a few things to say. When you were in Afghanistan, I knew you were in extreme danger, but guarded by our best. You were there doing what some had determined only you could do, and you served your country well and I am truly proud to be your father. When I finally got to bring you home, and your angels close behind, I thought I could live with you having a safer, still dangerous, but safer job than Afghanistan and living at home. I would have strongly discouraged work at the CIA or any of the other black ops. The FBI is so huge I thought you would be safer there than anywhere, but it would never offer you the challenge you require. So when you chose NCIS working with the legendary Gibbs, I was thrilled. It seemed challenging enough, but not as dangerous as some of your opportunities. I no longer believe that is true. Within the last couple of months you were exposed to bubonic plague and almost killed by a terrorist in your own building. Chanel, Gibbs, I am going to pull out my selfish card for the first time ever. I want grandchildren. Now would be good. I have given enough service to my country for many people's lifetimes as have the two of you. I do not want to bury my only child or her fiancé before I die. I cannot order either of you to do what I ask, but I will ask and I want it strongly considered. Chanel, please resign effective immediately. I cannot go another day like today. Gibbs, I know you are eligible for retirement from NCIS and you are getting a pension from the Marine Corps. I want you to retire. If you are to marry my daughter, and give me the grandchildren I crave, I cannot abide the danger you face every day. You have done your time facing down death, now choose to face life."

Chanel and Gibbs just stared at the General. Chanel was surprised at the request, because while she intended to resign tomorrow, her father had never asked such a thing of her before. Gibbs was surprised that the General had given him any thought at all. After all, the Lt. Col. stood in the wings to replace him should he fall. The General looked at the surprised but mutually silent faces and continued.

"I know Chanel has always wanted a big white house in the country. I am prepared to gift this house in trust to Chanel and her children. The house has been in my family forever. This would become your home together instead of mine. I would like to remain living here for security reasons, but will move out of the master bedroom and turn that over to you. Chanel is already independently wealthy, but I will assure that you are both settled enough to raise your children in comfort, pay for Ivy League educations should they want them, and continue the family fortune into perpetuity. In other words, you will never have to worry about money. Gibbs, I know that you have apparently kept up appearances of having no money, but given the engagement ring and pre-honeymoon vacation you gave Chanel I suspect you have been underestimated, probably by design. You can use that money for whatever you choose, but you will not have to worry about buying the house, paying for staff, etc. I give these things to you because I can and I want to. You do not have to resign or retire to benefit from these gifts. You do however, have to get married and getting pregnant sooner rather than later would be great. Comments?"

Chanel laughed and went over to her father. "I am your only child daddy. I was already going to get everything anyway, but it was a very sweet thing to say and moving up the time table is also nice. Even before I killed Ari today, when I saw his face on the other side of the glass door and was pulled into that cold room, I knew that was my last op. I would either die, which I never believed he would kill me, or I would be forced to kill him which would be a truly horrible turn of events. Jethro baby, I was going to tell you later, but I will be tendering my resignation tomorrow. I would stay if I could, but the baby that I carry will not permit me to stay, nor would you, or my father for that matter, allow me to continue my work at NCIS. I would much prefer to quit than have the SECNAV force me to be fired."

Both men stared at her, running what she had said back through their minds. Gibbs looked at her in surprised wonder, "Somewhere in there did you just say you were pregnant? Or did I misunderstand?"

"My love, you did not misunderstand. I took a test a few days ago. I was just waiting for the right time. It must have happened in Jamaica. The whole time this afternoon with Ari, there was a very real fear that he would carry me off with him and you might never see me or your child again. There was a slight niggling doubt that he might actually kill me, and Jethro would find out from Ducky instead of from me. I am only maybe 6 weeks or so and it is very early to set high expectations. But we will obviously start the wedding plans with a vengeance and set a date not too far out, expecting the best. I do not want my father to walk an obviously pregnant daughter down the aisle. People might know, I don't care, but I don't want photographs to show it. How embarrassing for our children!"

Both men jumped up delighted with the good news. She saw their joy, in men who express very little joy ever, and felt happy for the first time today.

A short time later, Chanel and Gibbs went up to her room at the end of a very long day. They brushed their teeth, and Chanel left the bathroom and stripped out of her NCIS sweats and climbed into bed. She had destroyed all her clothes from earlier and wore nothing on under her sweats. Gibbs followed her lead and crawled into bed beside her naked as well. They had never actually gone to sleep naked, but usually ended up that way. She slid over the silk sheets to curl into his arms. "Before I finally fall asleep Jethro, do you have any questions you need answered?"

"You seem so certain he would not kill you Chanel. And yet you were also certain you would kill him if forced to. You obviously feel very strongly about him, and he about you. How do you explain that?"

"You are worried I might kill you some day?" She teased, and then answered seriously. "We were madly in love. I gave him my virginity. He gave me everything else, but when his allegiances became to murky and no longer clearly aligned with mine, I left him. He was too dangerous to be around. I thought of him often, and even wondered if I would see him while I was over there. When I saw his face in the glass, I just knew he was still in love with me. He always said I was the light to his darkness. I was still the light to his darkness, and he had become very dark indeed. I told you once I had been with very few men, and had made fewer mistakes. It is hard for me to look back at my time with Ari and see it as a mistake, but I certainly see some aspects as sad and unfortunate."

"You sound like you are, or were, still in love with him."

"Just as you are still in love with Shannon. But it was a long time ago, just as with Ari and me. I loved him, enough to kill him out of love than allow him to be killed out of hate. I am in love with you. I love many men, but I am only in love with you. Does this worry you enough that you would doubt my love for you?"

Gibbs turned and gave her that gentle soft smile he shared only with her. "No baby, I know you are in love with me only. We will be married and have our little peapod. I have no right to ask such questions of you, and you have generously answered them. If you ever want to talk about you and Ari, I will listen just as you listened to me talk about Shannon and Kelly. If that time never arises, then that is ok too. I love you and you only. There will never be anyone else but you for me. You will always have your Lt. Col. waiting in the wings." He gave her a very gentle teasing nudge. He would never forget the Gifford was, and may always be, standing in the wings waiting to snatch her up. She nudged him back and promptly fell asleep without saying anything else.

* * *

**Chapter 15: Chapter 15**

* * *

The Red Haired Woman

Chapter 15

Three months later, the happily unemployed couple was running back up the aisle having just been married officially. The General had insisted on the politically correct wedding instead of the quiet service Chanel and Gibbs wanted. They finally caved in to his preferences. They were somewhat non compliant by having a 'man of honor' in Tony, Abby as bridesmaid, Ducky as best man, Tobias and Tim as groomsmen, and spreading all of her special ops team across both sides of the aisle. If they were going to have a large wedding, then they would have a large wedding party. It was particularly difficult asking Lt. Col. Gifford. They finally settled on Chanel talking with him first to help ease the situation, and then Gibbs would invite Gifford to dinner one evening where they could talk.

Over time, the two men found a good friend in each other who shared similar hobbies and interests. Gifford, or Tommy as he was more commonly called, stayed close to the family, even buying a home nearby. As both men respected each other and honored the feelings the other had for Chanel, there was no conflict and everyone was happy with the situation.

Right on time, Chanel delivered a very healthy baby boy, named Thomas Michael. It turned out that making and having babies were yet other skills Chanel could add to her repertoire. She had three more boys and a girl squeezed in between before she called it quits. She bemoaned how her body would never be the same, but Gibbs could never see much different. Sure, she was a little softer than before, but he preferred her rounded shape anyway.

Abby and Tim finally got around to getting married, and Tony finally married the cute nurse who took care of him after the plague. All four of them, but especially Tony were very involved in the growing Gibbs' household.

The children grew up surrounded by love and family, extended as it was. The General retired after his second grandchild was born, saying he wanted to spend more time with his ever growing family and less time fighting the nation's battles. He died shortly after his last grandchild was born and was buried in the family cemetery on the property.

Gibbs and Gifford started racing in the America's Cup, with others from the Special Ops team and Tony was of course involved. They enjoyed the camaraderie and discipline the sport required and that they found they missed from active service. Gifford was the youngest officer on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but was also one of the most respected. Even so, the daily grind at the Pentagon and White House did not provide the thrill from his earlier adventures.

Two days short of their 20th anniversary and shortly after his 70th birthday, Jethro died from a heart attack while working on his boat. He was buried in the family cemetery on the hill. Most of his children were still at home in high school but the ones who were already off in college came home to share their mother's undeniable grief. She had lost her best friend, her husband, and the father of her children. She was strong for everyone, but she was inconsolable in private. And her life became excruciatingly private. While she carried on for her children still at home, she grieved deeply and turned inward. Tommy came over every day, even days she would not speak to anyone. He would just sit with her quietly offering comfort by just being there.

Every month on the anniversary of his death, Chanel would walk up to the cemetery and sit at his grave and tell him about the kids, their classes, their great and lesser loves, their strengths and weaknesses. She told him about their friends and loved ones and how they fared. And after a while she talked to Gibbs about Tommy as well, and soon felt like she knew what he would want for her. She loved Gibbs greatly and had wished to never be parted from him. She hoped that they would be rejoined in the next journey they would have.

The kids heard their mother's laugh for the first time in 9 months one day while she and Tommy walked around the property. One year and a few days after Gibbs' death, Tommy joined her in her bedroom and stayed for the next 30 years. While they never married, they were in their hearts and Tommy helped raise Gibbs' children and provide the guidance and honor they would need to go out into the world.


End file.
